Bengaluru hunts for mortuaries

With more Covid-19 patients succumbing to the deadly virus, Bengaluru is running short of mortuaries. On Monday, 47 patients died and the figure was 45 on Sunday. The total Covid deaths in Bengaluru stood at an alarming 321.

According to reports, mortuaries at government hospitals are running out of cold storage units to keep bodies of deceased patients.

The government-run Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru has the highest number of mortuary units — 40. There are 11 government hospitals in Bengaluru with mortuaries; except for Victoria Hospital, the number of units in other hospitals are in single digits.

Apart from government hospitals, private medical colleges can also take in bodies of Covid victims.

Doctors in the private sector told a news web portal that mortuaries are full due to lack of coordination. Family members often cannot come and claim the bodies because they would be in quarantine. Unless the bodies are identified and claimed, it cannot be sent for burial as per the protocol. This Covid protocol is one reason for clogging the mortuaries.

Meanwhile, Karnataka on Monday reported 2,738 positive cases, taking the total to 41,581. Bengaluru alone reported 1,315 fresh cases. The state also recorded 73 deaths, taking the tally to 757.

Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts would be under a lockdown for a week from Tuesday night. There was a heavy rush on the streets in Bengaluru as people came out to shop items for the entire week.