The body of a migrant labourer has gone missing from the morgue of Vashi general hospital, his relative has alleged
Umar Farooque Shaikh (29), a resident of Wahal village, who originally was from West Bengal, lived alone. According to his cousin brother Abdul Kareem, Shaikh was found dead at his home on May 9, after which the NRI police took his body to the hospital.
“He had been unwell since a few days and on May 8 night he called up his friend and asked to come in the morning to take him to hospital as he wasn’t feeling good. Next day, his friend reached his place and found him dead. He informed the NRI police and one of the officers admitted the body to Vashi general hospital, where we were told that we would be informed after the COVID-19 report of the body comes,” Mr. Karim said.
On May 14, Shaikh’s relatives were told that he had tested negative and they could take the body from the hospital for the last rites. “We didn’t have enough money for the last rites so we took a day to arrange for the money and reached the hospital on Saturday to collect the body. We got the death report and the COVID-19 test report but they didn’t hand over the body and asked us to come the next day as they were having some staff crunch. On Sunday, we went to the hospital again and were made to wait till 2 p.m., after which they said they were unable to find the body and we should approach the police,” Mr. Karim said.
At the time of going to press, the Vashi police along with NRI police official who admitted the body and Dr. Prashant Jawade, medical superintendent, Vashi general hospital, were in a meeting and none were available for a comment. “I was informed by Dr. Jawade about the incident and have ordered for a departmental enquiry and asked him to register a police case,” NMMC Commissioner Annasaheb Misal said.
The death report mentions cardiorespiratory arrest as a result of pneumonia as the cause of death.
