Maid’s body in morgue for more than 55 days

Suspecting foul play, family in Goa demands post-mortem and asks Indian consulate to help

The family of a deceased Indian maid — whose body has been lying in a Dubai hospital’s morgue for more than 55 days — is demanding a post-mortem as they suspect foul play.

Madhavi Shekhar Suravi, 44, who was from Mapusa in north Goa, worked in Dubai as a maid. She was admitted to International Modern Hospital (IMH) on July 12 after falling down a flight of stairs. She had a medical history of dizziness.

Kishan Pakkal, CEO of IMH, said the patient had several health issues when she was admitted and passed away three days later on July 15.

Pakkal said she had leftsided hemiparesis, head injury, rheumatic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, anaemia, acute renal and liver failure and subsequently suffered multi-organ failure.

It appears that Madhavi was not working at her sponsor’s home and no one has come forward to claim her body.

She is survived by her husband, a teenage daughter and son. When the hospital contacted her family in Goa, they insisted on a post-mortem as they suspect foul play.

In a Twitter message two days ago, Suravi’s son Diptej requested the Consul General of India in Dubai to intervene in the case.

Pakkal said: “The hospital has been in touch with the Dubai Police to obtain a clearance to move her to the mortuary at Dubai Police headquarters for repatriation. However, since a family member’s authorisation is required to release the body from the hospital, the transfer has remained incomplete.”

Vipul, Indian Consul General in Dubai, told Gulf News: “We are in touch with local authorities and have requested an investigation and postmortem as per her family’s wishes. However, the death certificate issued by the Ministry of Health and Prevention indicates she died of cardiorespiratory arrest. In natural deaths, no post-mortem is carried out. However, we are working closely with UAE authorities for speedy redressal of this case.”

Hospital authorities have also written to the Indian Prime Minister’s Office and foreign affairs ministry.