Patna hospital declares alive Covid patient dead
In a shocking incident reported from Patna, a man, who had been admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) with Covid-19 complications, was mistakenly declared dead by the hospital authorities.
The dead body, in sealed condition, was handed over to the family members along with a death certificate on Sunday. The issue snowballed into a controversy when the wife of the man wanted to have his last glimpse before cremation. When the cloth covering was removed from the face, the body turned out to be of a person other than her husband. The dead body was taken back to the hospital and after much hue and cry the wife found her husband to be alive. The PMCH authorities later dismissed health manager Anjali Kumari on charges
◗ THE DEAD body, in sealed condition, was handed over to the family members along with a death certificate on Sunday. The issue snowballed into a controversy when the wife of the man wanted to have his last glimpse before cremation
of “negligence.”
Sources said that the hospital authority is also trying to find out whether other doctors or officials were involved in the incident.
“The health manager was dismissed by the hospital authorities immediately after the matter surfaced. The hospital is also trying to find others who were involved in the incident. Stern action will be initiated against all those who were involved in declaring a man dead who is alive and being treated at the hospital,” he said.
Sources at the hospital said that one Raj Kumar
Bhagat from Purnia had died of Covid complications on Sunday. The hospital authorities sealed his body as per the Covid protocols but mistakenly handed it to the family of Chunnu Kumar of Barh, who was admitted to the hospital on April 9 after having suffered a brain haemorrhage.
Concerned over the incident, the district administration has asked the PMCH superintendent to launch a probe into the matter and initiate stern action against all those involved in the case.
The case has been reported at a time when the state is dealing with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to reports, the Covid-19 cases in the state have surged four times in one week.
As per the Bihar health department data, the active Covid cases in the state has surged to 14,695 and around 1,610 persons have died.