A case has come to light at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) where a living person infected with Covid-19 was declared dead and the authorities handed a death certificate to his family members.
A doctor at PMCH said Chunnu Kumar,40, who was admitted to the hospital on April 9 after suffering a brain haemorrhage had undergone a coronavirus test for which he tested positive during the treatment. He was then admitted to a corona ward and treatment was started.
On Sunday, the hospital informed the man’s family of his passing away of covid-19.
In a rush to remove the body after the death, the hospital administration sealed the body of the patient and handed it over to Chunnu's brother Manoj Kumar and also issued a death certificate.
At the crematorium, when the wife of the deceased and his relatives insisted on seeing Chunnu’s face, for the last time and they were shocked to discover that the body handed to them was that of somebody else.
Upon enquiry, it was found that Kumar was still in the hospital and they had been handed over the body of another patient.
PMCH Superintendent I.S. Thakur has dismissed health manager Anjali Kumari for issuing a death certificate for a living Covid patient calling it a 'big mistake'.
"Stern action will be taken against those found guilty," said Thakur.
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Meanwhile, relatives of Kumar are furious about the medical negligence.
"My whole family has tested negative for coronavirus. My husband has been nursing a broken leg for several days, he cannot move an inch how could he test positive for the virus?. Hospitals are neglecting their patients, otherwise, how could they be so mistaken?" said Kavita, the wife of Kumar who was mistaken to be dead.