Former Pune Mayor Datta Ekbote Dies of COVID As He Couldn’t Get Hospital Bed On Time

Mehab Qureshi

Pune, September 5, 2020: Former Mayor of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Datta Ekbote succumbed to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Wednesday. He was being treated at Sassoon Hospital after his family failed to get a bed at a private hospital. However, he died around 12.30 am during the treatment. He was 84 years old and is survived by his wife, two daughters and a grandson.

Unfortunately, a few days ago, on August 31 his son also died of Coronavirus, while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Ekbote, his mother and son Ravindra were admitted to Ratna Memorial Hospital on July 27. He recovered and was discharged from the hospital on August 18. However, on August 22, Datta Ekbote and his son’s health started deteriorating, and they both were admitted to Sassoon General hospital after they failed to get beds at a private hospital.

Datta Ekbote was undergoing treatment in the ICU ward. He died at midnight and was cremated at Kailas Cemetery in Koregaon Park.

Ekbote was an activist. He had built his leadership after coming out of extreme poverty. He was a staunch supporter of socialism. He had worked with veteran socialist leaders like SM Joshi, Nanasaheb Gore, Bhai Vaidya, GP Pradhan. He was also imprisoned during the Emergency. In the early days after the Emergency, he joined the Janata Party, then the Congress, then NCP, and continued to work for the party.