Delay in shifting dead body irks patients at SCB MCH

CUTTACK:  The pathetic condition of State’s premier government hospital was exposed when there was an inordinate delay in shifting an unclaimed body at the casualty department of SCB Medical College and Hospital.

The delay in the removal of the dead body irked other patients and their attendants at the ward as the incident came to the fore on Saturday when a video showed a patient being treated while the dead body was lying below since Friday evening. The dead body remained there despite doctors, nurses and other health staff attending to patients at the ward. 

“The sight of a dead body lying unattended since Friday evening at the ward affected the morale of other patients and their attendants. It is tough for them to have their meals with a body lying near them,” stated some patients undergoing treatment at the casualty.

After the video went viral, SCB MCH administrative officer Abinash Rout rushed to the spot and informed police following which the dead body was shifted to the morgue at about 12.30 pm on Saturday.  “The person was brought to the casualty in a 108 ambulance but was received dead. Shifting of the dead body was delayed as there was no claimant of the body. As per the rule, the body will be preserved for 72 hours,” said Rout adding that necessary measures would be taken to prevent the reoccurrence of such an incident. 

Medical police outpost in-charge officer Maneswar Pradhan, however, told that the hospital authority had given a memo to the police about the body of an unknown male without mentioning any registration number. “The name of the district from which the 108 ambulance had brought the patient was also not mentioned. So we returned the memo through the attendant who had brought it advising to bring it with necessary reference. The concerned attendant however did not turn up again,” Pradhan said.

However, the memo of hospital authority terming it as an unclaimed body has drawn flak as the deceased patient name and address was already registered in the casualty department. The 66-year-old patient’s name was registered as Bidyadhar Jena of Sankida in Bhadrak district.