Mystery surrounds over a pregnant woman, a suspected coronavirus patient who allegedly fled from Bhabha Hospital, Kurla, on Friday night and was eventually traced to Bharat Nagar in the Bandra-Kurla-Complex (BKC) on Saturday evening.
The woman has subsequently re-admitted to Bhabha Hospital and kept in the isolation ward. Surprisingly, the authorities – both civic and police – were tight-lipped about the incident, steadfastly refusing to share details of the case. What worrisome is, she may have come in contact with a number of people in her travel from Kurla to the BKC.
A high-ranking medical official of Bhabha Hospital, requesting anonymity, told The Free Press Journal, the woman did not flee. "Woh aurat aayi thi aur Friday raat ko hi nikal gayi. Phir humne police ko inform kiya aur woh Saturday ko return aayi (the woman arrived here and left on Friday night. We then informed police and she returned on Saturday)."
The official refused to divulge details of how the woman managed to leave and the result of her test. "Whether she got tested or not (for coronavirus) is a very personal thing and the media should not ask about it. I can only say that as of now, she has been kept in the isolation ward," the official said.
Further confirming the news, a senior officer from the BKC police station said, "We traced the woman to Bharat Nagar in BKC, after we got a call from Kurla police station and brought her back to Bhabha Hospital."
This was corroborated by Senior Inspector Dattatray Shinde from Kurla police station. He said, "We got a call from Bhaba Hospital and accordingly, we contacted the woman's husband. He helped us track her down at BKC."
A resident of Bharat Nagar slum, who witnessed the tracking down, said, "Word is that the woman lives in Dharavi and was running scared after being informed she would be tested for coronavirus. Now we are scared, as the virus may spread in our area too."
