The Azad Maidan police registered an offence after a 46-year-old COVID19 patient escaped from ambulance while being taken to hospital. According to the police, while on his way to G T hospital the patient request the ambulance driver to stop for toilet break however as the drive stopped his vehicles the patient alighted and started running.
The patient a resident of Sewri was quarantined at a hotel in Sion after he was returned from Dubai in the last week of March. According to the officials, he was carrying a negative report however as per the Brihanmbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) protocol, it was mandatory for people coming from abroad to get quarantined for seven days after their arrival. Seven days later they need to get tested for COVID19.
As per the procedure he underwent testing seven days after his arrival and as he was tested positive for COVID19 the BMC officials sent ambulance to shift him to G T hospital. On Sunday evening ambulance driver Baba Abdul Razaq Shaikh, 39 reached Pearl View Hotel near Sion railway station to take the patient to G T hospital near Crawford Market.
Shaikh received him and after loading his belonging proceeded towards G T hospital. As the ambulance reached D N Road near Crawford Market, the patient requested the driver to stop the vehicle on the pretext of toilet break. As he stopped the ambulance the patient alighted and started running towards the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Shaikh tried to chase him but as his ambulance was left open in the middle of the road he could not chase for long.
The driver the informed the BMC officials which advised him to report to the nearest police station. We have registered an offence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section for disobeying a public servant’s order (188), negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life (269) along with the relevant sections for Epidemic act, and hunt for the patient is underway said police.
