Bodies of COVID-19 victims 'rotting' in Bengaluru hospital for over one year

In a heart-wrenching incident, the bodies of two COVID-19 victims, who died in July 2020, are "rotting" in the Employees' State Insurance Corporation Hospital mortuary in the city for the past over one year.

According to hospital sources, a 40-year old woman and a man in his early 50s were admitted in the hospital in Rajajinagar with coronavirus in June 2020 and died a few days later in the following month.

Since then, their bodies are kept in the mortuary as the final rites were not performed for unknown reasons.

In this regard, Rajajinagar BJP MLA and former minister S Suresh Kumar has written to Karnataka Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar requesting him to get the matter investigated and punish those responsible for the "inhuman incident." In his letter, whose copy he shared with reporters, Kumar said that during the first wave of COVID-19 two people died in the ESI Hospital in July 2020 and their bodies are still rotting in the mortuary of the hospital.

"The role of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanaara Palike and the ESI authorities is grave. In this regard, I request you order a high level probe, get the detailed inquiry report and initiate stringent action against those who are responsible for this inhumane act," Kumar wrote.

In his emotionally charged letter, Kumar said such incidents should never occur anywhere.

"During the peak of COVID-19, we came across various heart-wrenching incidents but the incident that came to the light in the ESI Hospital is most unfortunate. It is the height of irresponsibility and inhuman behaviour," Kumar wrote.