Corona fear: Family abandons migrant's body on roadside in UP

PRAYAGRAJ: The family of a 35-year-old migrant worker abandoned his body on the roadside out of corona fear after he died at a hospital here on Saturday. The man had returned to Pratapgarh from Mumbai four days ago, and was brought to SRN Hospital in Prayagraj, UP, after falling ill on Saturday.
The unattended body of the migrant, who was suffering from asthma and cardiac ailments for years, was spotted by locals on the roadside at Damdam village under Raniganj police station on Prayagraj-Pratapgarh highway at around 11pm on Saturday.
Locals informed police following which teams of cops and health officials rushed to the spot. The probe thereafter revealed the extent to which the fear of coronavirus has percolated into the psyche of people.
The police identified the body and traced the family and had a tough time convincing them to conduct the last rites. DSP (Raniganj) Atul Anjan Tripathi told TOI, "The migrant had returned to Damdam village four days ago and was advised 21-day home quarantine after thermal scanning and medical examination. He had old history of asthma and heart ailment."
He fell ill on Saturday morning after which his family members took him to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital in Prayagraj for treatment. The doctors prescribed medication and told him to come for follow up or in case of emergency."
"While returning home, his condition deteriorated suddenly and he breathed his last. The family members suspected that he died of coronavirus, left his body on roadside outside the village and went home," he added.
"During probe, we came to know that the deceased was a resident of Damdam village. His family members left him on the road suspecting that he had died of Covid-19. When we took his body home, they refused to take it. We kept it on a cot outside the house," the DSP said.
The health team carried out investigations and traced his medical history and said that he died of complications due to asthma and heart ailment.
Senior police and health officials told the family that he did not die of corona and took a sample from body and sent it for test.
Officials then convinced the family members to cremate the body and gave them PPE kits and sanitiser for cremation to allay their fears.