Karnataka: Man breaks into Belthangady hospital, whisks Covid-19 positive wife and baby away

MANGALURU: In a bizarre incident, a man broke into the maternity ward of a hospital in Belthangady late on Thursday and took away his wife and newborn child after learning that she had tested positive for Covid-19. Police immediately traced the family and admitted the woman and child in a hospital in Mangaluru.
Police said the woman, who hails from Navoor, was admitted to Belthangady Government Hospital on July 12 for delivery.Her swab samples were collected during admission. She delivered a healthy baby on Wednesday (July 15) and a day later, results on her sample showed she was infected.
As per protocol, hospital officials had made preparations to shift her and the child to a Covid hospital in Mangaluru on Friday. However, on Thursday night, her husband arrived at the hospital in a car, broke open the lock on the main door and barged inside.
Though hospital staff tried to stop him, he fended them off, bundled his wife and child into the car and drove away. Jurisdictional police were immediately informed and they traced the couple within hours and asked the woman to return to hospital. Sources said she – and the child – was admitted to Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangaluru, while the man has been asked to stay in home quarantine.
With the woman testing positive, three other pregnant women at the hospital in Belthangady have been shifted to other hospitals and the area has been sanitised. “We don’t have security guards here so we double up as security staff too,” said a doctor at the Belthangady hospital. “Police also are at risk due to such incidents.” No complaint was registered with police.