Tamil Nadu Hospital Discharges COVID-19 Patients By Mistake; Police Gets On With Search Operation

Tamil Nadu Police are searching for a Covid-19 patient who was discharged by a hospital in Villupuram district by mistake, said police.

The hospital had discharged four coronavirus positive patients owing to a clerical error on Tuesday (7 April).

Realising the mistake the hospital authorities reached out to the police and located three persons belonging to the same family residing in the district.

The one person who is being traced is a migrant labourer from Delhi.

According to the police, special teams have been formed to trace the missing patient.

The Villupuram district has 20 Covid-19 patients.

Tamil Nadu has become one of India’s worst affected states due to the coronavirus outbreak, and Tablighi Jamaat congregation that took place in Delhi’s Nizamuddin last month has been a major contributor.

Over 90 per cent of its total reported cases are either those who attended the event or came in direct contact with those who did, The Print said in a report.

The state authorities, pacing up their efforts of contact tracing, have found and isolated 1,427 out of total 1,500 attendees from Tamil Nadu. According to state Health Secretary Dr Beela Rajesh, the government is also trying to trace their family members and all those who came in contact with them.

The Print report, however, also mentions that many Muslims from Tamil Nadu who attended the event in Delhi are voluntarily coming out and declaring themselves.

(With input from IANS)