Mumbai: Video of bodies lying near COVID-19 patients goes viral

Shocking videos purportedly showing bodies of COVID-19 victims lying unattended near coronavirus patients at a civic-run hospital in Sion have surfaced on social media.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Thursday, ordered a probe into the incident.

The video has been shot secretly at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital at Sion, one of the biggest civic hospitals of Mumbai. It was posted on social media by BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, the son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha member.

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The video from Twitter has reached several social media platforms including the fast-circulating WhatsApp.

"In Sion hospital..patients are sleeping next to dead bodies!!! This is extreme..what kind of administration is this! Very very shameful!" Rane tweeted.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori herself visited the Sion Hospital and sought an explanation from LTMG Hospital Dean Dr Pramod Ingle.

"We don't know where it is shot...but such a thing has happened, we have ordered a probe and those found guilty will face repercussions," she said.

Rane is the son of former Chief Minister and BJP Rajya Sabha member Narayan Rane.

On Thursday morning, Mayor Kishori Pednekar visited the Sion Hospital and sought an explanation from LTMG Hospital Dean Dr Pramod Ingle.
"We don't know where it is shot...but such a thing has happened, we have ordered a probe and those found guilty will face repercussions," she said.

Dr Ingle said on May 2, a meeting was held in which it was decided that bodies would be handed over to relatives. He also said that a probe panel has been appointed to check into the authenticity of the video and it would table its report in 24 hours.

"But, in many cases relatives are not available to take dead bodies, and in some cases reluctant also. They do not come even after repeated calls. In such cases we have to send the bodies to morgue for further procedures," he said in a statement released through BMC headquarters.

He said that strict instructions have been issued to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future.

Sources also pointed out that mortuaries of civic hospitals are full to its capacity and if all COVID-19 bodies are shifted to mortuaries, there would not be any space to keep bodies of people who have died of other causes.

However, senior BJP leader Dr Kirit Somaiya said, "I talked with the person who has recorded the video..he says its ward no 5, ground floor, emergency or COVID-19 section of Sion Hospital.. pathetic condition of dead bodies along with patients."

Senior Congress leader Milind Deora said he was outraged to see corpses laid beside the sick at Sion Hospital. "Why isn’t BMC following WHO-prescribed protocols when disposing of COVID-19 corpses? Public hospital staff are doing their best with limited resources at hand. Mumbai’s administration needs to step up now," he said.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that the incident is serious. "The Sion Hospital incident is extremely serious and shocking. Patients who are being treated are lying beside dead bodies. This is utterly inhuman. Is there no one to care for Mumbai?" he said. He urged the government and administration to ensure that such things are not repeated in future. The statement of Fadnavis comes just before Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray meets opposition leaders to discuss the COVID crisis.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Dr Kirit Somaiya said: "I talked with the person who has recorded the video..he says its ward no 5, ground floor, emergency/COVID19 section of Sion Hospital.. pathetic condition of dead bodies along with patients".