Mumbai: COVID-19 patient attacks nurse with kitchen knife in hospital, escapes

This picture has been used for representational purpose

A businessman undergoing COVID treatment at Malabar Hill's St. Elizabeth Hospital escaped after physically assaulting staff members late on Friday night last week. He was chased down by policemen on night patrol.

Patient Rajesh Gupta was admitted on April 13 with cough, fever, breathing issues, headache, hyperacidity, stomach upset, etc. "Since Day 1, Gupta had been rude with staffers, he said he was not getting proper treatment," said a source from the hospital.

The incident

"Gupta had brought with him a kitchen knife. Around 8 pm on April 15, the nurse gave each of the COVID patients four pills to eat. Two of his pills fell on the bed when he was taking them, he threw those in the dustbin. The nurse went to other patients in the ward," said the source, adding that Gupta was roaming around with the kitchen knife.

"He was constantly complaining that his oxygen is low, that he is facing breathing issues. But his oximeter reading showed a saturation level of 95. Still he insisted on being admitted to the ICU," the source added.

"Around 1 am on April 16, when the hospital staff was busy with the discharge work of another patient, Gupta left his bed and shouted, ‘Aap logon ne mujhe infect kia hai', and attacked nurse Dipikaben Wasava with the kitchen knife," the source said.

"Wasava's PPE suit tore as Gupta stabbed her on her right ear and near her left eye. Her chin was also bruised. Then Dr. Nilgiri Gupta and ward boy Dilip Jalve rushed to her rescue," the source said.

"Gupta also tried to hurt Dr. Nilgiri but he managed to save himself. Then Gupta fled from the hospital," the source said.

Midnight chase

Malabar Hill cops were patrolling in the area and saw Gupta being chased by the hospital's security guards, who shouted for help.

"I told my driver to follow the man. After one kilometre of chase, we managed to catch him near Walkeshwar. We were standing at a distance as we suspected him to be COVID-positive," said Amol Tamke, police inspector, Malabar Hill police station.

"When I asked why he escaped, Gupta said that he was not getting enough oxygen to breathe and needed lukewarm water to drink," said a source who was part of the night patrol team.

The hospital refused to re-admit Gupta over the attack, so Tamke used his contacts to get him another bed. "This took nearly three hours. We were all standing in the middle of the road at night. Somehow, I managed to get him a bed at a COVID hospital in Worli. I called for an ambulance and sent him there," Tamke said.

Gupta's wife told police that he is a calm-natured man but became violent ‘because of the heavy doses of medicines'.

Later, Wasava filed a case against Gupta at Malabar Hill police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA).

Gupta will be arrested after he is discharged from the hospital. "We have asked the hospital to alert us when he is discharged," Tamke added. St. Elizabeth Hospital's patient coordinator refused to comment.