An elderly woman in Madhya Pradesh's Umaria district tested positive for COVID-19 two days after her demise. She had returned from Mumbai along with her relatives and had not undergone any screening ever since.
She had been staying in a town near her native village after being denied entry by villagers over doubts of coronavirus. Those in touch with her have been sent into quarantine. It’s also alleged that the administration took no action against the woman’s relative who is a clerk with Manpur Janpad Office.
Two days after returning, she passed away on the night of May 22. The deceased was reportedly taken to a local crematorium by the administration.
A staffer of Manpur Community Health Centre who had taken the samples of the woman also reportedly tested positive later on. Locals claimed that the deceased and her relatives did not inform administration of their arrival.
The woman’s 9-year-old granddaughter was also tested positive in Katni on Thursday.
Manpur Thana in Charge ML Verma, when contacted by News18, said details of the case were in his colleague’s mobile phone. The officer did not get back till report was filed.
Dr Rajesh Shrivastava, the Chief Medical and Health Officer of Umaria, speaking to News18 on phone claimed that a total nine people including the house owner where the woman was kept were sent into quarantine. Another girl who accompanied the woman also has tested positive in Katni, he affirmed.
Asked why these persons weren’t screened on their arrival in Umaria, the senior physician claimed that they did not inform them and they are helpless as large numbers of migrants are coming back and they screen these persons as soon as they receive information of their arrival which was the case with the woman.
He did affirm that a portion of area in Manpur and entire Kusmaha village is put under vigilance.
The Umaria collector Sanjeev Shrivastava who assumed office on Wednesday could not be reached for comments.
Superintendent of Police Sachin Sharma however shared a different tale.
The woman had left for Mumbai for kidney treatment on May 15 with others. They returned to Umaria on May 18 and were kept in quarantine since then, said the officer adding as these people returned from a red zone, woman’s samples were taken and the positive report was received after her death caused by kidney failure.
“There might be confusion over hurried cremation but COVID-19 guidelines require the dead body to be cremated with safety as soon as possible which we did after woman’s demise,” said the SP. Over 800 persons have returned from outside so mostly we are sending them into home quarantine due to limited space available, he added.
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