Chhattisgarh: Bodies of 3 Covid victims lie unclaimed at hospital

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 20 : Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur on Wednesday revealed that the mortal remains of three patients, who died after contracting Covid-19, were still at a hospital mortuary and were yet to be disposed of.
Despite the pandemic abating in the state, as well as elsewhere in the country, three bodies were kept at the mortuary and no one has reached out to the hospital yet to claim the victims, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Dr. BR Ambedkar Hospital, Subhra Thakur, informed, adding that the bodies had been in the mortuary since 2021.
"We have been in correspondence with the government, via letter, with regard to the disposal of the bodies but are yet to receive any instructions. Therefore, the bodies continue to remain in the mortuary, pending disposal," the PRO said
Even after the passage of three years since the patients fell victim to Covid-19, their mortal remains have been pending ownership and disposal.
The bodies, which are largely decomposed and covered in PPE kits, continue to await ownership at the hospital's mortuary.
Thakur stated further that according to the protocol issued by the government, the bodies could have been disposed of and the sane was communicated to the government for further process.
However, with no word from the government since, the bodies have remained as is. Attempts by the hospital authorities to find the relatives of the victims have also been futile, according to sources.
Further action in this connection could only happen upon further instructions by the government.
Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital deals with large numbers of patients coming from all districts of Chhattisgarh, as well as neighbouring states.