Guwahati: In an incident of mistaken identity in Assam’s Darrang district, a COVID positive patient was released instead of a recovered person from Mangaldoi civil hospital on Tuesday night.

The incident immediately triggered a huge panic in the area following which the hospital authority brought back the patient to hospital again.

On Friday, the Darrang district administration has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Darrang, Dilip Kumar Borah told Time8, “An additional deputy commissioner level official has been given the responsibility of the enquiry and to submit the report within three days.”

Borah also informed that though the patient who was released was an active patient while released, his latest test result came ‘negative’.

 Altogether 14 patients were released from the hospital on Tuesday night. But instead of releasing one Hanif Ali who had recovered, the hospital authority released Hamid Ali who was an active COVID patient then.

“As soon as the hospital authority came to know about the fact, the active patient was brought back to the hospital and tested again. But luckily his latest test result was negative. We have released him later again,” the deputy commissioner added.

Locals fumed over the incident and alleged the hospital authority to take stern action against those who had committed the mistake. Locals alleged that due to the casual approach of the hospital authority, the entire area could have been easily affected with COVID.

“We thank God that Hanif Ali has too recovered. But what if he was not? Due to the mistake of the hospital authority, the entire area could have been infected. It’s a shame,” Abdul Zaman, a local said.

The district authority has made it mandatory for all released patients to go for a strict 14 day home quarantine even after their release from the hospital.