Muslim woman cremated after bodies of Covid patients swapped in Surat hospital

A Muslim woman, who succumbed to Covid-19, was cremated in Surat on Sunday after the New Civil Hospital authorities mistakenly handed over her body to an agency responsible for cremation instead of another woman’s body.

After the family of the 38-year-old Muslim woman raised the issue, Surat District Collector Dr Dhaval Patel assured them an inquiry committee will be set up.

The Muslim woman, undergoing Covid-19 treatment in New Civil Hospital for nine days, died on April 3. On the same day, another Covid-19 patient, a 55-year-old woman, died in the hospital. On Sunday morning, the hospital authorities informed family members of both the patients about the deaths and both the bodies were kept in the same room at the Covid centre in NCH.

After the 55-year-old woman’s husband saw her body and left for his house in Maharashtra, the hospital authorities intimated Khan agency, which is responsible for cremation and burial of bodies of Covid-19 patients. The agency staff mistakenly cremated body of the 38-year-old woman at Ashwani Kumar cremation home instead of the 55-year-old woman’s body. When the family members of the Muslim woman reached the hospital, they found that her body has been cremated.The family members had a heated argument with hospital authorities, following which the police intervened.

NCH RMO Dr Ketan Naik said, “We have set up a three-member committee to probe into the incident and based on their report, appropriate action will be taken.”