COVID-19 patient, declared dead, found alive by crematorium staff

A COVID-19 patient was declared dead at a West Bengal hospital on Saturday, but when crematorium staff reached to take his body for last rites, he was found sitting on the bed of the hospital, according to a PTI report. 

The incident happened in Nadia’s Netaji Subhas Sanatorium Covid Hospital in Kalyani, where the 26-year-old was admitted on May 12. He was earlier admitted to the Ranaghat Sub Divisional Hospital after he complained of fever and chest pain and was later found to be positive for COVID-19, PTI reported. 

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The patient, a resident of Hijuli in the Dhantala police station area, was transferred from Ranaghat after his condition started to deteriorate. The Netaji Subhas Sanatorium on Friday told the patient’s family that he was dead, and gave them his death certificate on Saturday, PTI reported.

But, his family said that when the crematorium staff reached the hospital to take his body, they found him sitting on the bed, PTI quoted.

The family said that the hospital, in the patient’s death certificate, mentioned that his father was dead, but it was not the case, PTI reported.

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After the incident, the family has shifted the patient out of the hospital. 

A senior district official refused to comment on the issue, stating that he would be able to do so after collecting information from the medical officer concerned as he said he has not received any written complaint, PTI reported.