Dead 15 months ago, bodies of two COVID-19 victims found at Bengaluru hospital mortuary

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In a shocking incident, the bodies of two COVID-19 victims were recovered from the mortuary of a hospital in Bengaluru. According to the details, the incident was reported from ESI Hospital in Bengaluru's Rajajinagar city, where the COVID-positive patients had died in July 2020. The bodies were recovered by the housekeeping staff, who later alerted the authorities.

In a statement, relatives of one of the deceased (identified as Durga Sumithra), said her family received a call from the hospital, stating her body was found in an old freezer.

Commenting further, the family said they were earlier informed by the hospital authorities that the body has been cremated. The family had also received a death certificate from the hospital. 

"Durga Sumithra had COVID-19 and was admitted to the hospital but she died after four days. We were informed that cremation will be done according to our tradition, but again we got a call yesterday that her rotted body was kept in the old freezer for the last 15 months which was very disturbing for us," said Sujatha, a relative of Sumithra.

Hospital authorities informed that the other rotted body was that of Muniraju, also a resident of Bengaluru. 

Muniraju's son Satish said, "When we received a call from the hospital, saying that he was no more, we asked them for the body. But BBMP authorities told us that it was cremated. Later, when we went to collect the death certificate, they reiterated it and told us to sign the relevant documents."

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities have now come under fire and an investigation has been launched. 

The bodies will be handed over to the families once the postmortem formalities are completed. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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