Maharashtra: Bodies of 22 COVID-19 victims stuffed in one ambulance
The bodies of 22 COVID-19 victims were put in one ambulance while being taken to a crematorium at Beed in Maharashtra, with the district administration citing lack of medical transport vehicles as the reason. The incident took place on Sunday when the bodies, kept in the mortuary of the Swami Ramanand Teerth Rural Government Medical College at Ambajogai, were transported for the last rites.
Hospital is currently managing with only two ambulances
The medical college's Dean, Dr. Shivaji Sukre said they had five ambulances during the first wave last year. Out of them, three were later withdrawn and the hospital was now managing the transportation of COVID-19 patients in two ambulances. "The bodies from the COVID-19 center at Lokhandi Sawargaon village are also sent to our facility as they don't have cold storage," the official said.
Hospital has requested for more ambulances
The dean said they wrote to the district administration on March 17 to provide them three more ambulances. "To avoid the chaos, we have also written to the Ambajogai Municipal Council to conduct the last rites of the victims between 8 am and 10 pm and the bodies will be sent to the crematoriums from the hospital ward itself," he added.
Medical college should have prepared itself: Municipal Council officer
Meanwhile, Ambajogai Municipal Council's chief officer Ashok Sabale said it was the medical college's responsibility to transport the bodies to the crematorium on Mandwa road (designated for the last rites of COVID-19 victims). "The medical college dean said they do not have enough ambulances. If it is the case, didn't they have any review mechanism? Why didn't they act on it?" Sabale asked.
Municipal Council to provide one ambulance to the medical college
Municipal council president Rajkishor expressed concern over the incident and said the same day, eight more bodies were transported in another ambulance for cremation. "We are going to provide one ambulance to the medical college and another two will be made available from the district administration. The local medical infrastructure is stressed as patients from nearby districts are also brought to Ambajogai," he said.
