An activist said that he had spent ₹32,000 to preserve the body of a 53-year-old man who died of COVID. The amount was spent for hiring an ambulance and a freezer for one night.
After the COVID patient died at around 9 p.m. on Thursday, a private hospital at Chaitanyapuri had pressurised the family members to take the body since they do not have a mortuary.
Left with no option, they contacted the NGO, ‘Feed The Needy’, which has resumed providing the last ride to the dead.
Member of the organisation, Sai Teja Katragadda, said that since crematoriums do not take bodies after 6 p.m., they had to arrange a freezer. But the body in the freezer could not be taken home or kept out in the open at any place.
“So, we hired an ambulance too. It costed us ₹32,000 to preserve the body for one night. The government should think of an alternative,” Mr. Sai Teja requested.
Members of NGOs said that a few other families were also asked to take away bodies of their loved ones late evening or in the night and therefore, facing similar issues.
Government hospitals, either have a mortuary, or are attached to a hospital having a mortuary.
In case of private sector, major corporate hospitals have the facility to preserve 5-10 bodies. Private hospitals with 50 or less do not have the facilities.
