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Body swap at Ludhiana civil hospital: Body was received without tag, probe reveals
A day after the body swap was discovered at the Ludhiana civil hospital, a board of doctors formed to conduct a probe found that the body of the 25-year-old deceased was received in the mortuary without a tag on it
A day after the body swap was discovered at the Ludhiana civil hospital, a board of doctors formed to conduct a probe found that the body of the 25-year-old deceased was received in the mortuary without a tag on it.
Two Class-4 employees, who were responsible for tagging bodies, have been shifted from the mortuary. One of them was on deputation and another was on contract. Services of the contract employee have been terminated.
Senior medical officer Dr Amarjit Kaur, said, “The board has prepared a detailed report and will submit it to the civil surgeon.”
The board includes Dr Rohit Rampal, Dr Sourav Singla, Dr Charan Kamal, Dr Seema Chopra and Dr Gurvinder Singh. Dr Charan Kamal, nodal officer, emergency, and a forensic expert, said, “After the body swap incident came to the fore, the staff nurses and pharmacists have been directed to always check the tag while receiving a body.”
Civil surgeon Dr Hitinder Kaur, said, “I have not received the report yet. I will get it by Monday we will evaluate it and take further action.”
The case
After the body of one Ayush Sharma 25, was found missing on Thursday, his relatives had allegedly vandalised the civil hospital and attacked employees.
It was later found that his body had been handed over to the family of a Punjab Police officer Maneesh Sharma, 34, who died of a heart attack on January 3. Ayush’s body was cremated by Maneesh’s family on January 4.
In the aftermath of the violence, a police post has also been shifted in the emergency ward in front of the emergency medical officer’s (EMO’s) room. The police post was earlier near the main gate of the hospital.
Cross FIRs lodged
Meanwhile, police commissioner Mandeep Singh Sidhu in a statemen,t said, “In an unfortunate incident, government property was vandalised at the civil hospital, causing fear among medical staff and patients.
Based on the statement of SMO Dr Amarjit Kaur, a case has been registered at Division Number 2 police station under Sections 307, 353,186 and 379 of Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.”
“Meanwhile, based on the statement of Ayush’s relatives, an FIR has been registered against unidentified staffers of the civil hospital under Sections 379, 403 and 406 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).”
Had expressed doubt while collecting body: Deceased cop’s kin
The body of Punjab Police officer Maneesh Sharma, 34, was cremated with police honours on Friday, two days after his family unknowingly performed Ayush’s last rites, who also received a guard of honour.
The body of Maneesh was handed over to the family members after a postmortem on Friday as it was still in the mortuary. Maneesh’s brother Brijlal, said, “The situation has further aggravated our pain. The body swap was a result of the civil hospital’s negligence. We had expressed our doubt over whether the body was Maneesh’s while collecting it on January 4.”
Dr Charan Kamal said, “Even the family members of Maneesh were unable to identify the body, then how can a Class 4 employee at the mortuary identify it after seeing it once.”
