The flip-flop by the Nongpoh Civil Hospital over the death of a 44-year-old person from Lumpangad, Ri Bhoi has spread bewilderment and stress across the district.
The person was brought to the hospital with chest pains and later died and was declared a Covid-19 patient by the Hospital yesterday creating great inconveniences to the family and locality as a whole.
Allegedly the Hospital authorities did a Covid19 test on the dead body and then declared him Covid19 positive.
According to the deceased person’s family members namely Beeta Rani, Rekha Marai, and Joti Marai, he died at Civil Hospital Nongpoh yesterday with severe chest pain.
The family alleged that it was only after their relative died doctors from the hospital conducted the Covid-19 test of the person and declared him as Covid positive and told the family that he cannot be taken home because the burial of the deceased will have to be done as per protocol.
The family said that the doctors assured them that they will provide people from the health department to carry out the burial of the deceased today as per the protocol.
“But today to our great shock they change their stance and said that the family can carry out the burial on our own creating confusion not only for us but for our whole village,” said one of the family members.
This slipshod decision making in the Hospital’s management of a virus which the authorities claim is dangerous and highly contagious has shocked the public.
The Rangbah Shnong, Silvester Mynsong, and Assistant Rangbah Shnong, Plielad Tiewsoh of the village said that the doctor from Civil Hospital Nongpoh had yesterday assured them that they would arrange three to four trained persons from their side to bury the deceased declared as a Covid-19 patient. “But today they changed stance much to the chagrin and confusion of us all” said the headman.
Mynsong has urged the District Administration and health department to clarify to the people on the protocol to be followed in such incidents.
“They cannot take things so lightly and take chances with the Coronavirus. They must avoid confusing people like this,” he said. He urged the hospital authorities to be more sensitive to people’s sufferings and never lets such an incident happen in the future.
