A video has been doing the rounds on social media of bodies wrapped in bags at Mumbai’s BMC-run Sion Hospital, creating outrage on social media.
Dr Pramod Ingale, dean of Sion hospital confirmed that video which is being circulated is of Sion hospital and they did not have any other option as the relatives of deceased refused to claim the bodies. “We are contacting the deceased relatives and handing over the bodies to them,” he said.
Earlier, BJP MP Nitesh Rane was one of the first people to share the video. Slamming the BMC, he said, “In Sion hospital..patients r sleeping next to dead bodies!!! This is the extreme..what kind of administration is this! Very very shameful!! (sic).”
The video shows at least four bodies wrapped in black plastic on beds next to the patients. “We are inquiring into the matter and also finding out when the video was shot,” said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, BMC.
As per the recent recent order issued by Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta said bodies of COVID-19 patients should be shifted out of the wards within 30 minutes of death and disposed of within 12 hours.
On Wednesday, with the highest single-day spike of 769 cases recorded in 24 hours, the number of Covid-19 cases in Mumbai crossed the 10,000-mark on Wednesday, at 10,714, including 25 deaths. In all, 412 people have died in the city of COVID-19 so far.
In the state, the total number of cases surged to 16,758, after detection of 1,233 new cases - also the highest in a day so far, including 34 deaths. The total number of fatalities state-wide is 651.
Meanwhile, Mumbai is bracing for the arrival of several Air India flights starting this week, and this may also result in the rise of COVID-19 cases in the city.
