The LNJP Hospital on Monday admitted that there was "misidentification" of bodies of two people having the same name, but claimed there was "no negligence" on the part of the facility.
LNJP Hospital is a dedicated COVID-19 facility of the Delhi government. Both patients, named Moinuddin had tested positive for coronavirus infection and both had died at the hospital on June 4, they said.
The incident came to light on Sunday when the family of 'second Moinuddin' went to claim his body at the morgue of the Maulana Azad Medical College, to which the LNJP Hospital is attached with.
The family of the 'first Moinuddin' had by that time already conducted the burial of the 'second Moinuddin' on June 6, assuming him to be the 'first Moinuddin'.
Later, after conducting the burial, it turned out, that they had collected the body of 'the other Moinuddin'. The two families later sorted the matter among themselves as it was a confusion due to the same name, sources added.
The LNJP in a statement on Monday said, "There has been an instance of misidentification involving dead bodies of two persons having the same name, i.e. Moinuddin".
Such instances of mis-identification sometimes occur because after death, there is a loss of facial expressions and stiffening of muscles and skin, it said.
"There has been no negligence on part of the hospital in this matter. However, every effort will be made to improve the system to prevent such errors from occurring in future," the statement said.
The relatives who are already emotionally distressed due to the personal loss, identify the body from a distance due to fear and stigma attached to COVID-19, the hospital authorities said.
"In these circumstances, similar looking persons can be misidentified," it said.
In the current instance, both the parties were pacified and mutually agreed to perform the last rites of the other Moinuddin on June 7.
Comments
0 comment