Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Annasaheb Misal has issued a show-cause notice to the medical superintendent and other three doctors for negligence in handling a body brought to the civic hospital Vashi for COVID-19 swab test. They have been given three days to respond else the civic authority will take action against them.
The body of 29-year-old Umar Shaikh had gone missing last month from the Civic hospital in Vashi. Later it was found the body got mixed up with the body of an 18-year old girl and was handed over to the girl’s family wrongly. The family also cremated the body without checking it, fearing the spread of coronavirus. Both the bodies were brought in the hospital for COVID-19 swab tests and none of them were positive.
After the incident came to light, the civic chief directed Dr Balasaheb Soanwane, chief medical officer of NMMC to carry out an enquiry. In the enquiry, a serious lapse in handling the bodies in the civic-run hospital was found. Despite an instruction to not keep bodies brought in out of NMMC’s jurisdiction, the body of Shaikh was brought from Ulwe in Raigad district.
The official also did not put up the label in the girl’s body that lead to the confusion while handing it over to the girl’s family. In the enquiry, it was found that there was no label on either of the bodies.
Based on the enquiry, the civic chief sought a reply from Dr Prashant Javade, the medical superintendent of Civic Hospital Vashi within three days. Dr Javade has been asked why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him as he failed to perform his duty in supervising his officials working under him in this particular incident.
The other three doctors were also issued the show cause notice. They did not perform their duty in maintaining records and segregating of the body as per the norms. They have been asked why not they should be suspended for their negligence. Since the show-cause notice was issued on May 29, they have a reply by June 2. Despite the repeated attempt, Dr Javade was not available to comment.
After the incident came to light, a case was also registered at Vashi police station on May 20 under section 297 of the Indian Penal Code against Sunil Waghela, a ward boy, and Dashrath Suryawanshi, the father of the deceased girl.
