Last Updated : Aug 10, 2020 06:43 PM IST | Source: Moneycontrol.com
Bengal hospital charges man Rs 51,000 to see COVID-19 positive father’s body
The family was informed about the COVID-19 positive patient's death hours after he breathed his last; by the time they reached the hospital, his body had already been sent to the crematorium.
A resident of West Bengal alleged that a...
more... private hospital had asked him to pay Rs 51,000 to catch a glimpse of his father’s corpse before it got cremated. The patient identified as Hari Gupta died of the novel coronavirus disease on August 8.
Sagar Gupta, the son of the COVID-19 patient, has alleged that the private hospital informed the family about his father’s demise several hours after he breathed his last.
An India Today report quoted him as saying: “On the afternoon of August 8, we received a call from the hospital saying that my father had passed away at 1 am. When we questioned why we were not informed about it earlier, the hospital authorities claimed they did not have our contact information.”
The family has further alleged that by the time they reached the hospital, the corpse had already been sent to a crematorium. When they rushed to the Shibpur crematorium, they found out that the body had already been taken.
They were told to pay Rs 51,000 to see him. After they opposed, they bargained the charge down to Rs 31,000. Frustrated, they approached the police, but the hospital staff reportedly denied permission to the police as well. They told the policemen to seek permission from “higher authorities”, the family of the deceased COVID-19 patient complained.
When they tried to make a video of the entire episode, their phones were confiscated, and the body was ultimately cremated in the family’s absence. They are now planning to lodge a formal complaint with the police.
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