COVID-19 patient’s missing jewellery resurfaces mysteriously

A COVID-19 patient’s gold jewellery that went missing from the hospital in Chikkamagaluru recently resurfaced after the matter reached the police.

The patient was admitted to the designated hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 on August 8. She succumbed to the infection two days later. Her family members approached the hospital seeking her jewellery. They found that a gold chain and a ring worth over ₹2 lakh were missing.

District surgeon Mohan Kumar informed the police about the incident. Meanwhile, the family continued to approach the officers for the jewellery. The police interrogated a few people in the hospital. Surprisingly, a cover containing the jewellery surfaced in the chamber of the nursing superintendent on Monday afternoon. The officers handed over the packet to the family members through the police later.

Dr. Kumar told The Hindu: “When the family approached us, we verified their claim through video footages of the patient recorded daily during her stay in the ICU. We don’t know who took the jewellery.” The incident has upset the doctors and staff members of the hospital. “This is highly disappointing for us,” the surgeon said.

The hospital administration has shared the CCTV footages with the police for further investigation. Following the incident, the hospital has decided to ensure that patients hand over all jewellery to their relatives on entering the hospital.