Jalgaon: 82-year-old found dead in Covid hospital toilet

NASHIK: Four days after she reportedly went missing, an 82-year-old Covid-19 positive woman was found dead on Wednesday in a toilet at the Government Medical College Hospital in Jalgaon where she had been kept in the isolation ward.
The woman’s body was found after other patients at the hospital complained about a foul smell emanating from the toilet block. The toilet in which the body was found was locked from inside.
The relatives of the woman, a resident of Bhusawal city, had registered a complaint with the Jalgaon police station on June 6 after the hospital authorities said they were unable to find her.
The incident sparked strong reactions with Jalgaon guardian minister Gulabrao Patil speaking to deputy CM Ajit Pawar and other senior authorities in the chief minister’s office to demand the suspension of the college dean and the district civil surgeon.
Jalgaon collector Avinash Dhakne told TOI, “This is a major faux pas by the hospital staff. It is beyond imagination how a particular toilet block can be left unattended for such a long time. We will send a comprehensive report to the state.”
The relatives said the woman’s 62-year-old son had first tested positive for Covid-19 in Bhusawal. He was kept in an isolation ward and subsequently discharged. Later, his wife also tested positive and died on June 1. When the 82-year-old also tested positive, she was shifted from the Bhusawal railway hospital to the Jalgaon hospital for further treatment on June 2.
The very next day, the relatives called the hospital to inquire about the woman but the hospital said there was no one by her name there. Later, it was found that a wrong name was entered in the hospital records.
Two days later, the relatives again called to ask for her. However, the hospital said there was no patient by that name or description with them. The relatives rushed to Jalgaon the next day and lodged a complaint with the police.
A relative said, “We were not allowed to enter the hospital premises to look for her as it has a Covid facility. We fail to understand how a toilet block could be left unattended for five days by the staff.”
Guardian minister Patil said, “The government will act on the incident based on the report of the district collector. The incident speaks volumes about the laxity of the authorities.”