Surat: Since last week Surat’s health infrastructure has been reeling under the steep spike in Covid-19 cases. Depressing reports of shortage of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, ventilators, medicine and even the 108 ambulances have been doing the rounds with the rise in the number of patients.
With a surge in the number of people succumbing to the deadly virus, the morgue vans too got added to the grim-shortage-list. The Diamond City is witnessing a never-before situation where each van is carrying bodies in bulk to different crematoriums.
The government and NGO vans are busy shifting bodies from various hospitals while those dying at home are being shifted in private vehicles as no morgue vans are available. Earlier, morgue vans were available over a phone call but due to the high number of deaths at the hospitals, the vans are busy round the clock.
A morgue van of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) reached Kurukshetra Crematorium (KC) with seven bodies, packed in body-bags. It was only after an hour that the bodies were taken out for performing the last rites as the gas furnaces were already occupied.
Earlier, these vans were equipped with a platform to place bodies and a long seat for family members to sit. Now, the seats and the platform have been removed and the bodies are kept on the floor, one beside the other. These vans are shifting as many bodies as possible in one visit.
“We are just following the orders. So many people are dying in a day and it has become necessary to carry many bodies in each trip,” said a morgue van staff.
The morgue van staff is finding it difficult to explain to the deceased’s relatives that bringing one body at a time will create chaos at the hospitals due to the surge in the number of deaths.
“My aunt was admitted in hospital for the past five days but failed to recover. Her body was brought to the crematorium with six other bodies. They tried to bring the body in the best dignified possible way,” said Mehul Surti, a resident of Adajan.
“I am not aware if multiple bodies are being shifted in a single van. I will check it if there are any complaints and it will be addressed immediately,” said N V Upadhyay, deputy municipal commissioner, SMC.
Apart from morgue vans, the crematoriums too have been overburdened. “The bodies are brought once the crematoriums inform the civic officials. Along with Covid-19 victims brought from hospitals, a large number of people dying at home are also brought directly to crematorium hence the rush is high,” said an official at a crematorium.