The bodies of two deceased were mistakenly swapped at the Yashwantrao Chavan Hospital run by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Wednesday morning.
The alleged exchange not only resulted in commotion but also caused an attack on the dean and vandalism at the hospital. The blunder was noticed by one of the families while taking possession of the body, causing much chaos with the police having to intervene.
Hospital dean Dr Rajendra Wabale said, “Snehlata Ashok Gaikwad, 57, a resident of Dapodi, was brought to YCMH on Wednesday morning after she succumbed on Tuesday evening in a private hospital. Her body was kept at the mortuary after the post-mortem. The body of another deceased, Meena Balu Gade, 57, was also placed there after she died of a lung abscess caused by cancer. The exchange happened around 11.30 am.”
According to Dr Wabale, a body is handed over to the relatives by the Class IV workers after the consent of the relatives. However, the policemen who oversee the handover process were not present at the time and the Gade family mistakenly took Snehlata's body instead.
“Since they failed to recognise the body, they also performed her last rites at the Thergaon gaothan crematorium,” he said.
Giving more details Wable said, “Snehlata was majorly injured on Tuesday evening post her collapse. The relatives who rushed from Gujarat took the body to conduct the last rites and realised that it wasn't Snehlata. They then created a ruckus at the hospital."
PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh said, “A committee has been appointed to investigate this matter and the guilty will be punished as per law. Instructions have been given to YCMH officials to improve their administrative working so that such incidents are not repeated.”
