Shimla: A day after picture of a man, forced to carry his Covid-19 positive mother’s corpse on his shoulder for cremation in Kangra district, appeared on social media, the state government on Friday has directed proper protocol to be ensured, while performing last rites of persons who succumb to Covid-19.
The man identified as Bir Singh, a resident of Ranital area of Kangra district in PPE kit had to carry the body of his mother wrapped in PPE kit for 1 km, as no one not even any of his relatives, villagers nor anyone from the administration came forward to help him.
This exposed the plight of the family members in performing the last rites of their near and dear ones succumbing to Covid.
Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur directed Deputy Commissioners of the state to ensure that the last rites of the persons, who have died due to Covid-19, were performed strictly as per the protocol and guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in this regard so that family members of the deceased do not face any inconvenience.
He said that the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district must ensure that the bereaved family members of the Covid patients get full support and co-operation of the district administration in performing the last rites of the deceased.
In urban areas, the concerned Municipal Commissioners, Executive Officers/Secretaries of the Urban Local Bodies would be the overall nodal officers and should work in close coordination with hospitals and should provide resources such as PPE kits, dead body bags, disinfectants, sanitizers, waste disposable bags etc. for proper disposal of the dead body.
In rural areas BDOs have been designated as nodal officers in their respective areas for this purpose.
Adequate PPE kits, dead body bags, disinfectants, sanitizers, waste disposable bags etc. would be provided to the hospitals and PHCs, so that the same could be made available to the people for performing the last rites as per the protocol, he added.
The BDOs would work in close coordination with the hospitals/PHCs, Panchayats and Panchayat Secretaries/Patwaries so as to ensure that the bereaved families do not face any inconvenience in performing last rites of the deceased.
