Bodies of 2 COVID-19 victims found in mortuary after a year

Bodies of 2 COVID-19 victims found in mortuary after a year

Their families were told that bodies had been cremated

30/11/2021

Special Correspondent Bengaluru

In a shocking incident, the decomposed bodies of two COVID-19 patients, who died during the first wave in 2020, were found in the mortuary of the ESIC Model Hospital in Rajajinagar here.

The bodies were found on Friday evening when the housekeeping staff went there for cleaning.

The families of the victims, who were earlier told that the bodies had been cremated, are stunned at the turn of events.

Sources in the hospital said the bodies were identified as that of Durga S., 40, a resident of Chamarajpet, and Muniraju, 35, a resident of KP Agrahara in Bengaluru, with the help of tags. They were admitted to the ESIC Model hospital for COVID-19 treatment in July 2020. After their death, their bodies were shifted to the mortuary to be handed over to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for cremation.

As per COVID-19 protocols then, the civic body had the responsibility of cremating the bodies of the victims and the bodies were not given to the families.

Sources in the hospital said the two bodies were “forgotten” in the mortuary as the hospital authorities were under the impression that the BBMP personnel had taken away the bodies.

V. Vijayanath, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at ESI Hospital, refused to comment.

Protest held

However, Hospital Dean and Director Jithendra Kumar said he had ordered an internal enquiry. “The bodies were handed over to the police. The families of both deceased were called to the Rajajinagar police station on Monday to hand over the bodies,” he said.

The negligence has evoked sharp criticism. A group of organisations staged a protest in front of the hospital on Monday.

"How could they not notice the bodies? This is shocking,” a family member of Muniraju said.