A ghastly mix-up at a private hospital in Kanjirappally left two grieving families with wrong dead bodies, triggering an angry protest here on Thursday.
According to the Kanjirappally police, the mix up came to light when relatives of 86-year old Soshamma, who had died of a cardiac arrest, reached the Mary Queens Mission Hospital in Kanjirappally in the morning to take over the dead body. On realising that they had received the wrong corpse, the relatives informed the hospital about the blunder and asked to take it back.
Things, however, went for a toss when the hospital informed the woman’s relatives that Soshamma’s dead body had been mistakenly handed over to the relatives of one Kamalakshiyamma from Chirakkadavu. The situation worsened after it was known that the relatives of Kamalakshiyamma had already cremated Soshamma’s dead body by placing it on the pyre. The irate relatives erupted into a protest, alleging gross negligence by the hospital authority.
A police team, which soon reached the spot, mediated between the angry relatives and the hospital and the issue was settled for the time. Based on the discussion led by M. Anil Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of police, Kanjirappally and the Kanjirappally Tehsildar, the body of Kamalakshiyamma was handed over to her relatives for cremation while the mortal remains of Soshamma was handed over to her relatives.
“The issue is over as both sides conducted the funerals once again. With no formal complaints from any sides, a case has yet to be registered against the hospital’’, said Mr. Anil Kumar.
The hospital, meanwhile, has launched an internal probe into the episode. “The hospital medical board is meeting to ascertain how the mix up happened. We will be able to comment on this only after the meeting,’’ said a hospital spokesperson.
Published - November 09, 2023 08:04 pm IST
