MUMBAI: A 54-year-old executive engineer from the storm water drain department of the BMC died at the SevenHills hospital, where he had been admitted with Covid-19, on Sunday.
The engineer was on duty till Tuesday last week, said people in the BMC with knowledge of the case. He fell ill and was admitted to a private hospital in Thane on Thursday. His oxygen levels kept dropping and he was shifted into an ICU facility.
"He was then brought to the SevenHills hospital on Friday, but his condition kept deteriorating and he passed away on Sunday around 12.30 pm," a person in the municipal corporation said on condition of anonymity.
A senior officer from the engineer's department had tested positive a few days before him. Engineers from the department said that owing to pre-monsoon works, such as desilting, storm water drain department engineers were sent on the field.
"Owing to this he kept visiting various sites where work was undertaken before the monsoon and might have contracted the infection," an engineer said on condition of anonymity.
Sainath Rajdhyaksha of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Engineering Union demanded that engineers over the age of 50 years should not be sent on field duty. "They are very vulnerable and should be excluded from doing any kind of field work. This will help save the lives of many other civic staff," he said.
The number of BMC employees infected so far is 1,787, of which 1,050 have recovered. Over 70 have died.
The engineer was on duty till Tuesday last week, said people in the BMC with knowledge of the case. He fell ill and was admitted to a private hospital in Thane on Thursday. His oxygen levels kept dropping and he was shifted into an ICU facility.
"He was then brought to the SevenHills hospital on Friday, but his condition kept deteriorating and he passed away on Sunday around 12.30 pm," a person in the municipal corporation said on condition of anonymity.
A senior officer from the engineer's department had tested positive a few days before him. Engineers from the department said that owing to pre-monsoon works, such as desilting, storm water drain department engineers were sent on the field.
"Owing to this he kept visiting various sites where work was undertaken before the monsoon and might have contracted the infection," an engineer said on condition of anonymity.
Sainath Rajdhyaksha of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Engineering Union demanded that engineers over the age of 50 years should not be sent on field duty. "They are very vulnerable and should be excluded from doing any kind of field work. This will help save the lives of many other civic staff," he said.
The number of BMC employees infected so far is 1,787, of which 1,050 have recovered. Over 70 have died.
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