A 58-year-old doctor named Hemant Patil died due to coronavirus infection at a hospital in Vasai on Sunday. His wife, too, has tested positive.
Patil was associated with the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) and was a councillor with the then Vasai Municipal Council. Patil became a corporator when the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) was formed in 2009 and headed the civic health committee till 2014.
Patil's friend and Vasai MLA Hitendra Thakur said,“During the pandemic, Dr Patil led a doctors’ army and convinced the medical staff of Vasai to work on a war footing”.
A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) employee from in Vasai had also donated his plasma to Patil. Patil’s 27-year-old son had made arrangements for the second round of plasma donation.
“We believe he may have been infected on the field,” said Pravin Shetty, mayor, VVMC. “His funeral was held in Vasai on Sunday morning, while maintaining social distancing rules.”
Vasai-Virar has so far reported 7,613 cases and it has reported a total of 155 deaths.