BMC has shared the list of 70 missing COVID-19 patients with Mumbai Police to trace the patients for treatment, the crime branch will be also involved to locate the patients with the help of phone IMEI.
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has listed 70 Coronavirus patients in Mumbai as missing in the records and has sought help from Mumbai Police to trace them. The civic body has been regularly facing new challenges after outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic, this is another challenge for BMC to locate the missing COVID-19 patients.
All the cases of missing have been reported from north Mumbai’s Malad area which is presently badly affected area by Coronavirus in Mumbai. Fearing the possibility of infection and great risk of developing severe symptoms, the BMC approached the Mumbai Police to search these missing patients.
Pranaya Ashok the DCP and Spokesperson of Mumbai Police said, ” The cases in North region of Mumbai have been daily in surge. We are tracing the people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and gone missing. They need to searched and given proper guidance. The list has been shared by BMC on the missing patients we are helping ward officers to locate these patients. “
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The issue came in light after several people were tested positive for COVID-19, and when the authorities from BMC hospital tried reaching out to them with the given phone numbers and addresses, the patients could not be contacted. BMC officials have submitted the phone number, address and other details of these people concerned to the police.
“With the help of mobile numbers the police officials will start the search by tracing the phones with IMEI number – a technique often used during a crime investigation. It is also said that the process may take a few days, ” added an official.
Once traced, patients shall be taken back to the hospital for treatment after counseling. However, it is suspected that some patients might have left the city and some phones are switched off too.
Despite repeated attempts to know the situation in the vicinity where coronavirus patients have surge and gone missing, Aslam Shaikh, MLA from Malad West did not do nor respond to phone calls or messages .
