COVID-19 Dead Body Carried In Auto In Nizamabad

NIZAMABAD: In a sad turn of events, the dead body of a COVID-19 victim, wrapped in Personal Protective Gear (PPE) suit, was transported in an auto-rickshaw to the graveyard here, endangering the safety of the people during the pandemic times. The body was taken from the hospital where the person succumbed to the dreaded virus, in gross violation of guidelines and utter disregard for safety precautions.

A picture of this spine-chilling incident went viral on news channels and social media. The incident mirrored the negligence of the hospital authorities who did not care to press an ambulance into service for the purpose.

As per the norms, the body of a COVID-19 victim must be carried to the graveyard for cremation in an ambulance. It should be accompanied by an escort vehicle and the health workers are required to wear PPE kits. However, neither the auto-driver nor the passenger sitting beside him was seen wearing the PPE suits.

The hospital sources tried to hide behind the pretext that three persons succumbed to the dreaded virus on the same day, making it difficult to arrange for an ambulance. Since there was only one ambulance in the hospital, the body had to be shifted in an auto-rickshaw, the hospital staff said.

The justification of the hospital authorities for their negligence in handling the body of a COVID-19 dead however did not cut much ice. As the picture of the corpse being carelessly motored away on the streets of Nizamabad went viral on social media, the hospital authorities drew flak from the netizens.