Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi 

Udupi, Aug 24: An unusual incident took place for the third consecutive day in Udupi as a body of corona-positive patient was buried after it was confused for a body that has been abandoned. The incident occurred at a private hospital in Udupi.

A male patient who was admitted to the hospital had tested positive for coronavirus. Following which he was treated in the designated COVID block of the same hospital. Unfortunately on August 24, he succumbed to the infection. The news of the man's death was also conveyed to his family accordingly.

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Speaking to the media, Preetesh Shetty, a relative of the deceased said, "We reached the hospital at around 5:30 am. It was around 11:30 am till the account and dues were cleared. Till 3 pm we faced unavailability of an ambulance in the hospital. We went to identify the body in the mortuary, which strangely was not there. We had no clue as to where the body was. Further, we have not received any receipts from the hospital."

Enraged with the way the hospital handled the body of the patient, a flash protest took place near the mortuary of the hospital.

DC issues clarification:

District collector G Jagadeesha issuing a clarification on the news regarding the burial of a corona-positive patient said, "The news regarding the disappearance of the corona-infected person on a local news portal is far from the truth."

"The body has been disposed of in accordance with the Covid guidelines. False news regarding the case due to incomplete information will not be entertained. Those who circulate such information on social media channels to disrupt the harmony will face strict action," the DC warned.

Doctor issues clarification:

Refuting the accusations made against the hospital, Dr Padmaraj Hegde professor of the department of urology said, "Balakrishna Shetty was my uncle and was under my care during his illness. On August 23 at 5 pm I received a call from his caretaker that my uncle was suffering breathlessness. I immediately got an ambulance from KMC and admitted in the emergency ward. The patient was intubated on arrival and I enquired with the physician treating him of the condition, which was said to be critical. Around midnight, I received a call that he had tested positive for coronavirus. Unfortunately, he could not be saved and breathed his last at 5 am on Monday morning."

"At 11 am I received a call from district health officer and informed them to follow the COVID protocol for cremation. In the evening Preetesh Shetty called me. He used an abusive tone and questioned me on how could I give consent to a district official to conduct cremation without consulting with him. I have no clue on who Preetesh is and what is his association with my uncle. The allegation that the hospital has charged about Rs 3 lac for the treatment is completely wrong. Further, the bill was partially cleared by the insurance company. Hospital has followed the necessary government guidelines in this case and no there was no one else who visited the hospital apart from me," Dr Hegde asserted.