Bengaluru: 15 months after their death, bodies of 2 Covid patients found in mortuary of ESI hospital

In a case of sheer negligence, the dead bodies of two Covid-19 patients were found in the mortuary of ESI hospital in Rajajinagar nearly 15 months after they died.

The deceased identified as Durga (40), a resident of Chamarajpet and Muniraju (35), a resident of K.P. Agrahara had been admitted to the hospital in July 2020 for coronavirus treatment. However, as they succumbed to the deadly virus, their bodies were shifted to an old mortuary to be handed over to the BBMP for disposal. As the Covid protocol, the BBMP, the civic agency, was to cremate the dead bodies of the Corona victims and the bodies were not given to the families.

With the spike in Covid deaths and lack of enough facility to keep the dead bodies at the ESI hospital’s old mortuary, the government had constructed a new mortuary, which was inaugurated in December 2020. As the new facility started functioning, the bodies of Covid victims were shifted from the old facility but these two bodies remained in freezers.

On Saturday, the staff was reportedly cleaning the premises of the old mortuary when they sensed a foul smell emanating from freezers and found bodies. The negligence of the staff and doctors is said to be the reason for the dead bodies remaining at the cold storage without disposal.

The development has drawn sharp reactions from the public against the ESI hospital staff and doctors for utter negligence in handling of dead bodies.