One of the two sons of the deceased said on Sundaythat family members came to know about the exact cause of thedeath only after local police informed them.
"We first admitted my father to a civic-run facilityafter he complained of uneasiness on March 24. But as hishealth did not improve, we took him to a private doctor inVakola," he said.
He claimed that the family members approached acivic-run facility in Santacruz (east) last Thursday, butauthorities there asked them to rush the man to KasturbaHospital in south Mumbai. "They provided us an ambulance," hesaid.
He said when they reached Kasturba Hospital, the nodalfacility for COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, we were asked toprovide travel history of the patient.
"When we failed to provide travel history, theyrefused to admit my father," he claimed.
I and my brother rushed my father to KEM Hospital on atwo-wheeler on Thursday itself.
"My father's treatment started on a bench at KEMHospital. On one occasion he fell from a stretcher. Next dayhe was declared dead," he said.
He claimed that no one from the hospital informed thefamily members that the man had died of COVID-19.
"We came to know only after local police informed us,"he claimed.
The man was buried in the early hours of Sunday, hesaid, adding that they had not received any document statingthe exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, Shoeb Khatib, trustee of Bada Kabrastan inMarine Lines, said, "We were informed by hospital that he is aCOVID-19 patient, hence we allowed his family members to buryhim with all precautionary measures".
Confirming that the deceased was a COVID-19 patient, aKEM Hospital official said that documents will be provided tohis kin.
A civic body official said that family members of thedeceased have been quarantined and contact tracing is on.
Kasturba Hospital officials cannot be contacted.
Mumbai alone has reported 406 COVID-19 cases so far. ZANSK NSK