After a Deputy Municipal Commissioner and Health Department Chief in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) tested positive for the COVID-19 on Tuesday, the newly appointed Municipal Commissioner Dr Vijay Rathod, another deputy municipal commissioner and the Medical Officer have been quarantined.
After MBMC Chief’s reports came negative on Thursday, he resumed duty in the evening. However, the deputy municipal commissioner and the health officer are still in quarantine. However, Dr Rathod has not followed the testing and quarantine rules, indicated by the expert.
After receiving the report of the corona suspects, their contact person should check the swab sample at least 5 to 7 days later. A swab sample does not show corona infection in a day or two. However, after 7 days, a chest x-ray or CT scan should be done to detect coronavirus infection. In the meantime, the person in close contact is expected to be quarantined,” said Dr Rajiv Agarwal, President, IMA, AMS Chapter.
After Deputy Commissioner Sambhaji Panpatte’s reports tested positive, Commissioner quarantine himself in a Hotel G C C Club, which was declared as private quarantine centre on Tuesday.
On June 23, Dr Rathod has been appointed as the new commissioner of MBMC, replacing Commissioner Chandrakant Dange.
Many infected
There are more than 12 officers and employees at the MBMC headquarters have been infected with Coronavirus. Deputy Commissioner, Sambhaji Panpatte has also shown COVID-19 symptoms. So, he went for swab testing. On Tuesday, his report has come positive. Panpatte had come to the office on Tuesday morning. He was with the convoy of the former CM Devendra Fadnavis when he visited Mira Bhayandar on Monday.
Many employees in the Water Supply Department, Fire Department, Health Department, and Town Planning Department have been tested positive for Coronavirus.
However, Ramakrishna Gawde(50), a clerk working with the Health Department at the MBMC headquarters, died due to corona infection on Wednesday. He has admitted at the PV Joshi Hospital runs under Bhaktivedanta Hospital for treatment last week.
On Tuesday, mibhatimes.com has reported that more than 152 healthcare workers and 31 doctors have been tested positive for COVID-19, so far. With Gawde’s death, three healthcare workers died due to the coronavirus infection.
“Out of 152 healthcare workers, 90 have been recovered. They are either in precautionary quarantine at home or back to help the public in their respective hospitals,” said the sources from the MBMC’s Health Department.
Earlier, eleven healthcare employees of civic-run Bharat Ratna Indira Gandhi Maternity Hospital have been infected with coronavirus infection. They have been hospitalized at Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Covid-19 Hospital in Bhayandar. However, they have been recovered and resumed their duties. Significantly, lack of proper measures and inadequate materials have increased the risk of infection to these healthcare employees.