Devrambhai Bhisikar was admitted to the Ahmedabad civil hospital on May 28 after he reported symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
In another inexcusable case of negligence, coronavirus patient cremates body, later informed he is alive,the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, in the state capital of Gujarat, family members of a Covid-19 patient were informed that he had succumbed to the infection when in fact, the patient’s health is improving.
The afflictions of the patient’s kin worsened after they were handed the corpse of a Covid-19 patient and told that it was the body of Devrambhai Bhisikar, their family member.
Abiding by the guidelines and precautionary measures prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the family did not unseal the body bag and cremated the same without confirming the identity of the deceased.
After they had cremated the body handed over to them, Devrambhai’s kin were informed by the Ahmedabad civil hospital that he was responding to the treatment being given to him for Covid-19. He was admitted to the Covid-19 wing of the Ahmedabad civil hospital on May 28 after he displayed symptoms of the infection.
Family members were informed of his demise on the afternoon of May 29 and rushed to the hospital. At the time, the report for Devrambhai’s samples sent for Covid-19 test was yet to return. However, it was deemed necessary to cremate the body while taking into account precautionary measures such as to refrain from opening the body bag.
The family members who had cremates their loved one the previous day received a call from the Ahmedabad civil hospital, informing them of improvement in Devrambhai’s health on May 30.
Devrambhai’s relative Nileshbhai said that the family is still confused about whether their loved one is alive or not. In fact, Nileshbhai said that when the family contacted the hospital on May 30 after receiving a phone call about Devrambhai’s improving health, they were told that the call made to them could have been a mistake on the part of the hospital staff and that their family member had indeed passed away on May 29.
The family called the hospital for a second time and was told that Devrambhai’s samples have returned negative for Covid-19 and that his health is improving.
Doctor Shashank J Pandya of the Ahmedabad civil hospital said that when the patient was brought to the facility, his sugar was 500 and he had trouble breathing which is what led to Devrambhai’s demise. While the patient’s Covid-19 report was pending his family cremated the body while adhering to precautionary guidelines, Dr Pandya added.
