COVID-19 hospital horror: 'I was horrified, my dad began to panic'

Kin narrate the horror at city hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, day after videos of people being made to lie next to dead bodies go viral

What started as an effort to get treatment for his diabetic father suspected to have contracted COVID-19 soon turned into a horror story for a 29-year-old who discovered bodies wrapped in plastic on beds in Sion hospital's emergency and COVID-19 ward, while his breathless father was made to share the bed with other patients. A video of the man's experience on April 20 went viral on social media and BJP leader Nitesh Rane tweeted it late on Wednesday.

The video shows bodies wrapped in black-coloured plastic kept on beds right next to patients and their relatives in what is supposed to be a ward in Sion hospital, which has set up a committee to probe the matter.

Screenshot of video taken by kin showing wrapped bodies

The Chembur resident had taken his 63-year-old father to Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (commonly known as Sion hospital) after he complained of fever and weakness. "My father was having difficulty breathing. I did not want to take him to a government hospital but I had no choice except to go to Sion hospital," he said.

At 1.30 pm at Sion hospital, the man was asked to take his father to the emergency ward. "After an X-ray, the doctor said my father has pneumonia and they were almost certain that he had COVID-19. They cleared a bed and asked him to lie on it. Soon, another woman was told to lie next to him and a senior citizen was told to sit near his feet," the man said. His father was given an oxygen mask to help him breathe.

The video went viral on social media on Wednesday and was tweeted by BJP leader Nitesh Rane

Just when the man was certain he did not want to keep his father at the hospital, he noticed a bed behind a curtain. A closer look revealed a body covered in plastic on the bed. "I was horrified and my father started to panic. The doctors kept saying that they will admit him and shift him to another ward but nothing was happening. Then, a friend of mine arranged a bed at Seven Hills Hospital," he said.

The man was asked to go to ward no. 5 — supposed to be a COVID-19 ward — to sign discharge papers. "Patients' relatives were inside with them in the ward, which is not allowed. I saw at least three beds with bodies piled on them and patients being treated right next to them. We had always heard about how bad government hospitals are. But I never imagined this," he said.

The man took his father to Seven Hills in an ambulance at 6.45 pm, where he is currently being treated and was taken off ventilator support on Wednesday.

Rane has also complained to Maharashtra's Governor and said the hospital has admitted the video is authentic. "The enquiry is pointless since the hospital is aware of what it is doing. This enquiry is a farce. Hospital authorities say that relatives are not collecting bodies and they have no idea about proper disposal of COVID-19 affected bodies. The state has failed to deal with the situation and the Centre should step in," said Rane. He added that the issue is arising from the lack of proper guidelines on the disposal of bodies of COVID-19 patients.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya complained to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday. "Currently, bodies are being wrapped in plastic due to the shortage of bags for disposal. Relatives and not ready to take the bodies due to which they are kept in the ward. I have asked ICMR to address this issue," he said.

'Enquiry to verify'

Dr Pramod Ingle, acting dean of Sion hospital said, "From the look of the tiles and hallway, it seems like Sion hospital. However, an inquiry will have to verify. A local committee of Sion hospital officials has been set up on Thursday and they have been given 24 hours to submit a report," said Dr Ingle.

Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that the bodies were accumulating since relatives of patients were delaying in collecting them.

"Relatives are not taking bodies. However, if they give permission, the corporation will dispose of the bodies. But now, the bodies will be stored outside the wards," she said.

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