Navi Mumbai: BJP member distributes fruits inside civic hospital on party leader Ganesh Naik's birthday; complaint lodged

NAVI MUMBAI: A complaint has been filed against the former NMMC leader of the house and Nerul corporator, Ravindra Ithape, for going inside the civic hospital along with his supporters to distribute fruits to patients on Tuesday, on the occasion of BJP leader Ganesh Naik's birthday.
The complaint against Ithape states that various Covid rules and precautionary guidelines were flouted while marking their party leader's birthday inside the maternity ward of the hospital.
NMMC municipal commissioner, Abhijit Bangar, told TOI: "I have received the complaint against Ithape, and have asked the officials to find out if any permission was taken by him and his supporters to enter the hospital premises to distribute fruits. After that, action can be taken.''
When contacted, Ithape downplayed the incident.
"Me and my supporters were all wearing masks and maintained social distancing inside the maternity ward of the hospital. The fruits were given to a few patients and the present hospital workers and staff. So, what is wrong with that?'' said Ithape.
However, RTI activist Anarjit Chauhan said: "The very fact that several people barged into the maternity ward to distribute fruits, and also click photos of this for their own publicity, shows that no proper permissions were taken from the hospital administration. Hence, action should also be taken against the civic CMO, along with Ithape, for endangering the patients at this municipal hospital.''
Chauhan further added: ``We don't even know if the fruits given to the women patients at the hospital were sanitized at the event. One cannot just walk inside the maternity ward, click photos and distribute food randomly, since it can lead to further spread of the pandemic.''