Odisha govt asks collectors for disposal of bodies of Covid-19 victims with dignity
‘Bodies of patients testing Covid negative at the time of their deaths be handed over to their relatives’
By Jagdish Rout
BHUBANESWAR, July 1; The Odisha government on Wednesday directed all district administrations and civic bodies like Municipality, Municipal Corporations and Notified Area Councils to dispose the bodies of the Covid-19 victims in a dignified manner in consultation with the bereaved families.
The government also asked the district administrations and civic bodies to hand over the corpses to the family members if the deceased tested Covid negative at the time of their deaths.
In a letter to the district collectors, Municipal Commissioners and Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs), additional chief secretary P K Mohapatra stated that all Covid protocols as per the guidelines of the Central government be followed during the disposal of bodies.
He further directed that bodies of the deceased be handed over to their family members in case they tested negative for Covid-19 at the time of their deaths. The body must be covered in a sealed bag for the safe disposal, he stated.
“If at the time of death, the patient is found to be Covid negative, and if the relatives of the patient claim the dead body, the same may be handed over to them in a sealed body bag with advisory of it’s safe disposal, so that the last rites can be undertaken by the family as per their customary practice,” the letter by the additional chief secretary to the district administrations read.
The health department which is headed by the additional chief secretary Mr Mohapatra also set some conditions before the district, municipal and hospital authorities for handing over the dead bodies of Covid-19 negative patients to their relatives.
Mr Mohapatra stated that family members must give an undertaking to abide by Covid-19 protocols like not opening the body bag or touching or kissing the dead body, maintaining the Covid appropriate behaviour.
The hospital or district authorities must properly sanitize the body and pack as per Government of India guidelines, he pointed out.
