Mumbai Police track down 44 of 63 'missing' Covid-19 positive patients

MUMBAI: Mumbai Police have tracked down 44 of the 63 Covid-19 positive patients that the BMC had reported as "missing" from the western suburbs. Interestingly, at least four of the persons labelled "missing" are dead and three are criminal offenders.
The list of missing patients was compiled by the BMC's P/North ward when they couldn't establish contact with people post their testing over a period of three months. Phone numbers of many of the patients were found to be switched off and some were not available at the addresses provided. The BMC staff that put together the list has come under heavy criticism from councillors for glaring inconsistencies. They have been accused of dashing off the list in a hurry without conducting a thorough verification first.
Of the 44 people tracked down by the police, the highest (17 persons) live in the jurisdiction of Kurar police station in Malad East. Two of the individuals who have died also lived in Kurar. Three of the missing patients are offenders booked by the Dindoshi police station and are presently lodged at a quarantine centre. "After a person is arrested, we take him for a Covid-19 test. If he/she tests positive, they are sent for institutional quarantine," said a senior officer.
Nineteen of the missing patients have been hospitalised-- maximum from the Dindoshi police station's jurisdiction. Eighteen others have been discharged from hospital and are quarantined at home.
Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has written to municipal commissioner IS Chahal demanding information on how many COVID positive patients are there in city, how many have been followed up by BMC staff and how many are missing from June 1 upto June 23.