Sixth BMC staff member dies, union seeks details of how many infected so far

The deceased, a Baiganwadi resident at Mumbai’s Govandi, a hot spot, was working as a pawn in BMC’s development plan department.

A 52-year-old Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff member, who suffered from Covid-19, died Sunday and became the sixth person in the civilian body to succumb to the virus. After his death, a BMC workers union has demanded a comprehensive study of how many civic employees have been infected to date.

The deceased, a Baiganwadi resident at Mumbai’s Govandi, a hot spot, was working as a pawn in BMC’s development plan department. On April 30, she stopped arriving at the office, where she fell ill. She went on to test positive in early May. As her condition worsened, she was admitted to the Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar on May 5.

“She was a pawn in the eastern suburbs section of the department. All staff members who contacted her have been asked to self-quarantine, ”an official said. It has not yet been found where you got the infection from.

Another BMC staff member, posted in the operating room at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi, had succumbed to Covid-19 last week. “A pregnant woman admitted to the hospital was later discovered to be infected. It is suspected that he had contracted the infection from her, “said the official.

The first BMC employee to succumb to the virus was an evaluation inspector, who was sent to Dharavi and was handling the food distribution work. According to the Union of Municipal Engineers, three other BMC employees, a cable operator, an engine charger and a rent collector, also died from Covid-19, which they hired while on duty.

This occurs amid several BMC employees complaining that stress due to working 24 hours for the past two months is affecting them. Looking for employees to be put into rotating service, a BMC engineer said: “We are exhausted working 24 hours in isolation rooms and centers. Employees should be rotated … We’re not saying we don’t want to do Covid-19 related work, but if there is a staff turnover, it will help us. Also, the chances that employees will get the virus will be less. “

When contacted, Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani said: “We have instructed hospital managers, as well as medical superintendents and deans, to implement rotation tasks for staff. They have started the system of giving employees a break from continuous work. “

Sainath Rajyadhayksha of the Union of Municipal Engineers Sainath Rajyadhayksha of the Union of Municipal Engineers said that “at least six BMC engineering employees, deployed in various tasks related to Covid-19, have tested positive. Why is BMC hiding data on how many employees have been infected? Mumbai police and BEST share details of employees who are infected, die and are also recovering, but BMC is trying to suppress the facts. “

When asked, Kakani said, “Very few BMC employees are infected.”

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For the latest news from Mumbai, download the Indian Express app.