New Delhi, May 30 (IANS): To ensure better management of dead bodies of coronavirus victims and suspected cases at the mortuaries of various city government hospitals, the Delhi government on Saturday asked the hospitals for timely disposal of the bodies.
In an order issued on Saturday, Padmini Singla, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, said that in case a death occurs due to coronavirus or that of a suspect person or that of a person brought dead at a hospital, the concerned medical facility should send the body to mortuary within two hours.
"If the family or relatives are contacting the mortuary themselves within 12 hours of the death, the hospital shall schedule cremation/burial in consultation with the family or relatives and the area municipal corporation in the next 24 hours," the order said.
It further said that if the family or relatives are not contacting the mortuary themselves within 12 hours of death, an intimation to them should be sent through the area SHO with date and time and place of cremation/burial, in consultation with the municipal corporation of the area to enable them to attend the funeral.
"The delivery of the intimation shall be ensured by the area SHO within 12 hours after receipt of a message from the hospital," it added.
The order said the hospital must fix a date and time in such a way that an effective notice of at least 24 hours is available to the family or relatives.
"In case of unidentified or abandoned body of Covid-19 positive or suspect person, the Delhi Police shall complete all legal formalities within 72 hours of death and dispose the body in the next 24 hours as per the protocol," it said.
The order said that if the address of the Covid-19 positive or suspect person is outside Delhi, the medical director shall send a notice to the resident commissioner of the state or the Union Territory for communicating back within 48 hours. If no reply is received, the body shall be cremated by the hospital in the next 24 hours.
"The responsibility of timely disposal of dead bodies of Covid-19 positive or suspect persons who died at the hospital or were brought dead at the hospital shall be of the medical director of the hospital. The respective municipal corporation shall make all the arrangements to cremate/bury such bodies," it said.
The order said the in-charge of the linked mortuary will report to the medical director/director of the hospital for the disposal of the bodies of Covid-19 positive or suspect persons.