Boundary dispute between PMC and ZP, leads to 6-hr delay in cremation of Covid-19 patient

The PMC sheds responsibility as patient died in hospital outside civic body limits, while ZP initiates inquiry; family had to opt for a private hearse van to proceed with cremation

The family of a 48-year-old Covid-19 positive patient, who had been declared dead at a private hospital on Friday afternoon, had to wait for six hours to cremate the body.

The resident of Hadapsar was declared dead by a private hospital located in Manjri Budruk, which is located on the border of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Haveli taluka limits (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

The resident of Hadapsar was declared dead by a private hospital located in Manjri Budruk, which is located on the border of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Haveli taluka limits, which comes under the Zilla Parishad (ZP). One of the relatives of the deceased said, “He was admitted on July 25 and was undergoing treatment for Covid-19. During the admission too, we faced problems of non-availability of beds and ambulances. Somehow we were informed of a bed at this hospital and we admitted him there. We did not think about the hospital being inside PMC limit or ZP limit. We just wanted our family member to get good treatment. Unfortunately, he succumbed to the infection.”

“We had to arrange for a hearse van as we did not get any help from the hospital. We got the cremation certification for Yerawada’s ‘Amardham’ cremation centre. We dialled the PMC number for a hearse van, but they refused to come stating that the hospital was located outside the PMC limits and that the gram panchayat or the taluka administration has to take responsibility. After no response from the civic body, we contacted the local councillor for help, who later arranged for a private van and the cremation took place almost six hours after my uncle was declared dead.”

PMC assistant health officer Dr Kalpana Baliwant, who is handling Covid-19 dead body management, said, “The gram panchayat authorities are supposed to manage Covid-19 dead bodies if the death is reported from a hospital under their limits. I did get a call on Friday night for the same, but the PMC cannot keep doing the work that the ZP or Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is supposed to do, even though we have enough hearse vans and ambulances. There are so many deaths reported at Sassoon hospital of people from outside the district too, but since the hospital is in our limits, we cremate those bodies. We do not check their ration cards. Often PCMC and gram panchayats dismiss their responsibilities and call for the PMC van because the person was living within our jurisdiction.”

Ayush Prasad, chief executive officer of the Pune Zilla Parishad, said, “Every hospital within the ZP limits has been asked to display boards giving information about the hearse vans, ambulances and other important contacts. We have a decentralised system with five nodal officers for all gram panchayats, so that the calls are responded to immediately. This is the fifth complaint, regarding Covid-19, be it shortage of beds, ventilators or dead body management. I will look into the issue and see what went wrong.”

NCP councillor from the area, Yogesh Sasane, said, “I tried to contact the PMC’s health department and the electricity department who refused to attend to the query. After much delay, I finally had to call a private hearse van and the body was taken to the cremation centre. Even though the deceased lived in PMC limits, the civic body refused to send a van.”