Hospitals breach rules on release of bodies of suspected Covid patients: Fadnavis

Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has alleged that city hospitals are breaching Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) protocols

Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has alleged that city hospitals are breaching Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) protocols by releasing dead bodies of patients as non-coronavirus despite the reason of death being noted as suspected Covid-19 cases.

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Fadnavis in a letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday claimed civic-run BYL Nair Hospital has released 44 bodies wherein the patients had been admitted as suspected Covid-19 cases but died before swab tests were carried out, and added that these bodies have been cremated as non-Covid cases. He also forwarded two test case details in the letter from the hospital.

“As per papers available with me, Nair Hospital alone has released 44 such bodies for cremation as non-Covid cases where swab tests were not carried out but they are suspected of being infected by coronavirus. Such instances are going on in other hospitals too. Overall, due to this, death rate of Covid-19 will come down but it increases chances of spread of the outbreak as high- and low-risk contacts of these people are not being screened or tested,’’ said Fadnavis.

Fadnavis said Thackeray should immediately stop this practice and ensure that all hospitals follow the protocols; especially that of carrying out swab tests of the person admitted.

However, BMC health officials claimed testing was being done as per protocols. Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer of the BMC, said, “We are following guidelines of testing people who are dead. The testing is done by doctors based on clinical reasons, and anyone or everyone cannot be tested. There are deaths due to alcoholism, and we can’t conduct tests on such individuals.”