A 17-year-old boy from the government boys’ home, who was admitted to the Communicable Diseases Hospital, Tondiarpet, after testing positive for COVID -19, reportedly went missing from the hospital on Monday.
According to police, 35 children and five staff members in a government-run home in Royapuram tested positive as on Saturday. They were admitted to the Communicable Diseases Hospital. Among them was the boy from Jharkhand, who was rescued from the streets.
“Till 3 a.m., the medical staff saw the boy. But at 6 a.m., he went to the toilet and went missing afterwards. Our staff members are searching for him everywhere. We are sure that he will return in a day,” a source from the Social Defence Department said. He added that the police have been informed about the issue.
“He was rescued a few days ago and brought to the home. Our teams are also checking everywhere. We are wondering what to do to make the children feel comfortable in the hospital. Our staff cannot be with them while in the hospital,” the source said.
The police have registered a case based on the complaint of Kasturi, superintendent of the home. “We are also searching for the boy,” a senior police officer said. An official from the Social Defence Department said he would have to verify about the incident.