HC notice to govt as Hoshiarpur man’s sons say he’s alive

COURT ASKS STATE TO FILE REPLY BY JULY 22 IN A CASE WHEREIN BODIES OF AMRITSAR AND HOSHIARPUR COVID VICTIMS WERE INTERCHANGED

AMRITSAR: Two day after bodies of Covid-19 victims got swapped at Amritsar’s Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), the Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday issued a notice to the Punjab government seeking a detailed reply on Wednesday, observing that “the matter not only exhibit sheer negligence, but also causes apprehensions in the mind of kin of one of the deceased”.

According to GMCH authorities, Pritam Singh, 93, of Tanda Ram Sahai village in of Hoshiarpur district, died of complications after he tested positive of Covid-19 at the hospital on July 17 night, but his family received mortal remains of a woman, identified as Padma, 37, of Amritsar. Padma’s kin, on the other hand, got Pritam’s body, which they cremated on July 18.

Meanwhile, Pritam’s family returned Padma’s body and her kin performed her last rites on July 19.

Following this, Pritam’s sons Gurcharanjit Singh and Dalbir Singh filed a writ petition through lawyers Rajiv Malhotra and Satinderdeep Singh Boparai in the Punjab and Haryana high court. Taking cognisance of the case, the court issued a notice of motion to the state asking it to verify the facts and file a detailed response on July 22.

The petitioners are hopeful that their father is alive. Pritam’s son Dalbir was also admitted to the hospital along with his father.

As per the petition, on July 13, doctors informed Dalbir that his father expired two days back. He rushed to the ICU, where Pritam was admitted, just to find him alive.

This issue was raised with the authorities, after which Dalbir was discharged from the hospital, the petition reads.

On Saturday , Dalbir’s daughter received a call from the hospital that Pritam breathed his last on July 17 at 11pm, said the lawyer, referring the petition.

Seeking a criminal case against the erring officials, the petitioners also urged the court to form a commission to probe the lapses.

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