Health and sanitation workers performed last rites for the bodies reportedly abandoned by their family members fearing infection of COVID, at Nandigama Area Hospital.
According to sources, four patients were admitted in the hospital a couple days ago. Even as the COVID result was awaited, they died while undergoing treatment.
Fearing spread of the virus, the family members did not turn up to claim the bodies. They also reportedly did not visit the hospital to inquire about the health condition of the patients.
“We called the family members of the victims over phone and asked them to take the bodies by following the due procedure, but nobody came,” a hospital staff said.
The staff shifted the bodies to the mortuary and waited for the family members, but they did not turn up. The victims were from Chintalapadu, Kondapalli, Veerulapadu areas in Krishna district.
Initially, family members of two patients said that they will take the bodies if the COVID test result is negative. But, they stopped responding over phone later, the employees said.
The staff then alerted the Revenue, Municipal, Medical and Health and Police departments personnel and got clearance for cremating the bodies.
“We performed final rites for the bodies by taking COVID precautions. None of the family members attended the funeral,” a sanitation employee said.
“COVID has snapped human relations completely. Not only the Nandigama incident, family members are not coming forward to claim the bodies of suspected COVID patients and those who died with the virus in many hospitals. In some incidents, kin of the deceased are not taking jewellery and other valuables from bodies fearing infection,” said a doctor.
