Bodies of Covid victims swapped in Uttar Pradesh

Two coronavirus infected bodies were unknowingly swapped by a hospital in Meerut city of Uttar Pradesh. The incident came to light when one of the members lifted the shroud for a last glimpse of the deceased and discovered that the family was about to cremate the body of another man.

Meerut: In a shocking incident on Monday, a family, whose 84-year-old member had died due to Covid, stopped the cremation when one of the members lifted the shroud for a last glimpse of the deceased, after the body was placed on the pyre.

According to reports, the family was about to cremate the body of another man, who was in his 50s, when they realised that they had got the wrong body.

By the time the Meerut family contacted the family whose body they had, it was too late. They were returning home after doing the cremation and were carrying the ashes in an urn and had no inkling that their kin's body was still lying with another family.

When the elderly man's family contacted the LLRM Medical College on the issue, they were 'scolded' by the authorities for unpacking the body of a Covid-19 patient.

The nephew of the octogenarian told reporters, "We removed the shroud because some family members insisted on seeing him one last time. To our shock, the body was not of our uncle. It was someone else. When we contacted the LLRM Medical College, instead of accepting their fault, the officials started shouting at us for unpacking the body."

Meanwhile, the other family was also in a state of shock.The son of the 50-year-old man said, "I got a call on Sunday morning that my father's body is yet to be cremated. And we have performed the last rites of someone else."

Later, on Sunday, the body of the middle-aged man was handed over to the Modinagar family. And, in return, the Meerut family was given the urn of ashes.

A probe in the matter has been set up by the District Magistrate Anil Dhingra. "A team of additional District Magistrate (city) and Chief Medical Officer will probe the incident," the Dhingra said.

Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College (LLRM) principal Gyanendra Kumar said, "The doctor, nurse and ward boy on duty have been asked to give an explanation on the matter. Action will be taken against whoever is found at fault."

Several cases of bodies of Covid infected people being swapped in various districts have already taken place in Uttar Pradesh.

IANS report