Bhubaneswar: Now, family members can perform last rites of patients, who died under treatment and have tested Covid negative.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health, PK Mohapatra has given instructions to the Collectors, Municipal Commissioners and Chief District Medical & Public Health Officers to follow the new norms for disposal of dead bodies of patients under treatment for Covid.
As per existing Government guidelines, the dead body of the patient who dies during the course of treatment for Covid-19 is to be disposed of by the local authorities, in consultation with family members, in a dignified manner observing all Covid-19 protocols.
However, if at the time of death, the patient is found to be Covid negative, and if the relatives of the patient claim the dead body, the officials have been asked to hand over the body to them in a sealed body bag with advice of its safe disposal. The family members can last rites as per their customary practice, Mr.Mohapatra said.
The dead bodies can be handed over with certain formalities. “Body is to be handed over only if the family members desire and give an undertaking to abide by Covid protocols like not opening the body bag or touching or kissing the dead body, maintaining the Covid appropriate behavior,” the ACS said.
The district and municipal authority have been asked to sanitize and pack the body as per Government of India guidelines before handing it over to the family members.