Error in Covid-19 report spells trouble for Thirthahalli woman

A woman from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district missed the flight to Dubai at Mangalore International Airport, owing to a mistake in the spelling of Shivamogga in the Covid-19 negative certificate.

Chand Begum was refused a boarding pass by the officials from SpiceJet due to the spelling mistake in the Covid-19 negative certificate. In the report, the place where she underwent Covid test was referred to as ‘Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences’. However, the seal by the district surveillance officer had Shivamogga’s old spelling
‘Shimoga’.

Begum was scheduled to take the flight at 1.45 am on Saturday. Officials from Shivamogga district tried to explain the matter to the airline staff. They said the institute in question was a government hospital approved by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). However, all efforts went in vain.

The woman had undergone Covid test on November 18 and she received the report on November 19.

Zakir Hussain, brother of Chand Begum, said, “we tried our level best to convince the airlines staff to allow her to board the flight. When they did not heed our request, we had to return. Begum again underwent a Covid-19 test on November 21 in Mangaluru.”

SpiceJet representatives said that the airlines was just following the guidelines issued by the Indian government and the authorities in the UAE.

The rules stipulate that there should not be any error in the Covid negative certificate.

“We have intimated the problem to officials in UAE and Chand Begum will be accommodated in the next flight,” the airlines said.