Coronavirus in Maharashtra: Thane doctor tests positive

Thane -  A 48-year-old doctor from Thane has recently been tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. The doctor, who has a clinic in the city, does not have any history of foreign travel and is undergoing treatment at Thane Civil Hospital, Sandeep Malavi, deputy commissioner of Thane Municipal Corporation informed adding that the doctor had shut his clinic since March 20.

He may have attended to patients with coronavirus symptoms before that, he informed PTI. The TMC is tracking down patients he had treated before falling ill and other high-risk contacts.

Read Also: Haryana Nurse Tests Positive For COVID-19 After Using Patient's Cell Phone

The count of positive patients in Maharashtra''s Thane district has risen to 13, while 2,212 suspected patients, including 989 travellers were screened, of which 2,069 are home quarantined and 82 under institutional quarantine. 80 persons have also tested positive for the infection in Maharashtra the day the doctor was reported to have contracted the infection, a senior civic official recently informed.

Earlier, Medical Dialogues had reported that the virus had claimed the life of a senior surgeon-cum-urologist while 2 other doctors were tested positive for the disease. Dr Bahrainwala, an 85-year-old doctor associated with Saifee Hospital as a visiting faculty; died of coronavirus early on March 26 even as his 50-year-old cardiac surgeon son, who was operating on patients till a day before, was said to have contracted the infection.

Read Also: Coronavirus in Maharashtra: Senior Surgeon succumbs, 2 other doctors including cardiac surgeon test positive

Meanwhile, Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske expressed serious concern over the increase in the number of positive cases and directed the TMC''s medical team to track down acquaintances and high-risk contacts of positive patients to contain the spread.

In a related development, municipal commissioner Vijay Singhal ordered the zonal divisional municipal commissioners to take action against hospitals and clinics who fail to intimate authorities about suspected COVID-19patients and their contacts. Errant hospitals and clinics will be charged under the Epidemic Act and the Disaster Management Act if they fail to alert the civic body about suspected cases, he said.

Read Also: Delhi-Based CRPF Doctor Tests Positive For Coronavirus