Bengaluru: The many problems city is facing in handling COVID-19 dead

Bengaluru: Funeral and cremation of those dying of COVID-19 and those dying of other causes are being conducted at the same place has further caused anxiety over the spread of the virus.

The relatives of the COVID-19 dead and non-COVID-19 dead gather at the crematorium. The corpses of COVID-19 dead and non-COVID-19 dead are being burned within minutes of each other. Also, complete sanitisation does not occur every time and only a few areas in the crematorium are sanitised.

When there were fewer COVID-19 deaths in the city, the health department staff would do all the arrangements for the cremation. Now, people from the dead’s family are performing the funeral rites wearing PPE kits. This supposed indifference at a time when COVID-19 cases and deaths are rising in the city has caused fear among many. Along with this, the demand for unnecessary documents and delaying the funeral by officials have brought out the large loopholes in the cremation system.

The corpses of those who died of COVID-19 and others are being cremated at the same cremating furnace in the city’s crematorium’s at Sumanahalli, Peenya and Hebbala. Former ruling party chief in the city municipal corporation had asked for a separate crematorium for the funeral of those dying from COVID-19. However, no plans have been devised in this regard.

Recently, an unclaimed COVID-19 dead body at a park in Mallasandra was transported through ambulance by corporator N Lokesh wearing a PPE kit. Speaking about it he said: “The fear of the COVID-19 has created a staff shortage in carrying the corpse. As the ambulance driver was alone, I decided to transport the corpse myself in the ambulance.”

The time for online booking of crematorium has been extended from 5 pm earlier to 10 pm.

An average of 8 to 10 non-COVID-19 dead are cremated every day at each of the crematoriums in the city.

There were also allegations that the staff at crematoriums are asking money from the families of the dead. It is being reported that most of the crematorium staff have not been paid from October last year.

M D Chandru, a crematorium staff at the Hebbal crematorium, says that none of the crematorium staff has been tested for COVID-19 till date even though they carry out the cremation of COVID-19 dead bodies. He adds that they have not been paid from October neither have identity cards issued to them.

Jagadish Hiremane, member of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis states that directions have been issued for ensuring the safety of health of crematorium workers and an additional allowance for those conducting the cremations of COVID-19 dead. Any failures in implementing the directives will be probed.