Covid body in Guntur carried to graveyard in rickshaw

Vijayawada: In yet another instance of denying dignity in death, especially to the Covid victims, a video and photograph showed a Covid-19 patient who succumbed to the infection, being carried to the graveyard on a cycle rickshaw in Bapatla town, Guntur district.

The incident, reported to have occurred on Wednesday, drew criticism when the photograph of the body being transported on a rickshaw was shared widely on the social media.

The picture shows the body wrapped in a PPE kit, placed horizontally on the rickshaw and tied to it. A sanitation worker, wearing a PPE kit, was peddling the rickshaw carrying the body.

According to the guidelines, the bodies of Covid-19 patients are supposed to be shifted to graveyards in ambulances.

The doctors said that a 68-year-old-man who had been suffering from breathing problems was admitted to the Bapatla area hospital for treatment. The patient breathed his last while undergoing treatment. The medical team of the hospital conducted Covid-19 test on the body and he tested positive.

The family members of the deceased did not come to the hospital to take back the body. Doctors informed the matter to Bapatla municipality officials. The hospital staff wrapped the body in a PPE kit and handed it over to the municipal staff who shifted the body to the burial ground on the cycle rickshaw.

The video of the body being shifted on a cycle rickshaw went viral on social media and Deputy Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly Kona Raghupati expressed dissatisfaction over the violation of the guidelines and ordered a detailed enquiry into the matter .

All the hospital superintendents were instructed to strictly follow the guidelines and ensure that such incidents do not repeat, Raghupati said.