Ranchi: Sanjay Nagduar, a resident of Siramtoli in Ranchi, who lost his brother to Covid-19 on Thursday morning, had to face an ordeal while ferrying the dead body from Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences to the GEL Church graveyard. In a blatant disregard of the laid out norms, Nagduar was demanded a sum of Rs 15,000 by two outsourced staff at the hospital for the burial.
According to the state government protocols, dead body disposal of Covid-19 patients have to be done under the supervision of the district administration. The guidelines state that family members of the deceased have to contact the superintendent of the healthcare facility who will arrange a hearse to transport the dead body.
Speaking to TOI, Nagduar said, “My brother died on the wee hours of Thursday. When we reached the hospital, I approached the administration but was told that no hearse is available. While I was waiting for a hearse, two staff who had packed my brother’s body approached us and said they will help us ferry the body in an
ambulance and bury it too and demanded Rs 15,000.”
He further said, “I am aware that family members are not allowed to ferry dead
Covid patients on their own but I could not arrange Rs 15,000 for the burial, so I arranged a pickup van and took my brother’s body to the graveyard.”
Nagduar confirmed all facilities were in place at the graveyard, including an earthmover, two sanitation workers of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation and others who helped in the burial.
When contacted,
Rims PRO Dr D K Sinha confirmed deceased Covid patients should only be ferried on hearses and said, “I will take up the issue with the hospital authorities and suitable action will be taken against the guilty.”
It seems Sanjay is not the lone victim to be fleeced by outsourced staff at Rims who are hand-in-glove with private ambulance operators. Several complaints of operators and outsourced staff at Rims charging patients more than the capped price have surfaced in the recent times.
An alleged audio clip of a private ambulance driver went viral on social media platforms a few days back in which the operator was heard demanding Rs 4,000 to shift a
patient to a hospital within the city limits.
According to the directives issued by the state health department, ambulances can charge Rs 500 and Rs 600 for oxygen-supported and ventilator-supported ambulances, respectively. Operators have been allowed to levy Rs 200 for sanitization and post 10km’s travel, they can charge at the rate of Rs 12 and Rs 14 per kilometre for normal and ventilator-supported ambulances, respectively.