2 suspected COVID-19 patients' bodies lie unattended for hours

Mumbai, Apr 24 () The bodies of two suspectedCOVID-19 patients were left unattended for several hours, oneof them for nearly 20 hours, in the isolation ward of acivic-run hospital in Andheri here, where other patients werepresent, sources said on Friday.

According to the sources, the hospital staff was notready to wrap the bodies due to the fear of getting infected.

However, the hospital administration finally handedover the bodies to their relatives on Thursday around 4 pm,they said.

The incident took place at the Dr R N Cooper MunicipalGeneral Hospital.

"The hospital staff was not ready to wrap the bodies.One of the bodies kept lying unattended in the isolation wardfor nearly 20 hours, while the other one for about 10 hours.Several other patients were present in the ward," the sourcessaid.

Talking to , the hospital administration claimedthat the delay was mainly because the other staffers were notready to help the attendant in wrapping the bodies as theywere suspected COVID-19 patients.

"The bodies of COVID-19 patients need to be wrappedproperly, which a single person cannot do without the help ofothers. But the other staffers were not ready to help theattendant fearing that they might also contract theinfection," Dr Pinakin Gujjar, dean of the hospital, said.

He clarified that there was no shortage of safety gearor material for wrapping the bodies.

The city has so far recorded 4,232 coronaviruspositive cases. Till now, 168 patients have died due to theinfection in the city. KKNP NP