Magisterial probe ordered into body swap of victims

AMRITSAR: A day after bodies of two Covid-19 patients got swapped at Amritsar’s Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), the authorities have launched a magisterial probe into the matter. The GMCH officials have also written a letter to state medical education and research department for suspending four staff members of the hospital for negligence in handling the bodies.

Amritsar sub-divisional magistrate Shivraj Singh Bal will conduct the inquiry.

On Saturday, a 37-year-old woman of Damganj area of Amritsar had died of Covid-19 at the GMCH. Soon after her death, her body was sent to mortuary and authorities were told to pack her body in the personal protection equipment (PPE) kit before handling the body to her family members. The same day, a 92-year-old man of Hoshiarpur district, who was also undergoing treatment at the GMCH, died and his body was sent to mortuary. The hospital authorities, after packing the bodies in PPE kits, put wrong labels on the caskets.

Narinder Kumar, president of class-4 employees’ union, said: “The doctors have the responsibility of handling the bodies to their families and this is not the assigned duty of staff nurses and class-4 employees. The doctors are responsible for this negligence .”

A GMC doctor, requesting anonymity, said, “Body of the woman was brought back to GMCH and her family members were called for identification of the body.”