Protest mars cremation of AP doctor who died of COVID-19 in Chennai

Residents of a city locality

opposed the cremation of a doctor from Andhra Pradesh who died of COVID-19 here, forcing authorities to carry it out in another place overnight with a top official blaming 'coordination gap' for the unsavoury turn of events.

As the body of the 56-year old doctor, who died on Monday at a corporate hospital, was taken to the cremation ground in Ambattur area, the locals protested against it, saying it might lead to spread of coronavirus in their locality, police said on Tuesday.

Following the resistance, the body of the man from Nellore was taken back to the hospital mortuary, they said.

 

Top government sources said the man was cremated late on Monday in another locality in the city.

A top official from Chennai Corporation told PTI that the cremation was done with the full protocol for COVID-19 victims.

When asked about locals objecting to the cremation, state Health secretary Beela Rajesh said such an incident was rare and said "coordination gap" could have been the reason behind it, but did not elaborate.

"It is a very sensitive issue. Everybody in the government is aware of the guidelines that needs to be followed to dispose (a body). We have also issued guidelines to private hospitals. These kind of issues have not occurred in the past. A small coordination gap has occurred", she said.

The government has already informed the district collectors about the procedures to be followed, Rajesh said, adding, "we will reinforce them again".

The doctor who contracted coronavirus from a Tablighi Jamaat attendee was first admitted to a government hospital in Nellore, about 175 km from here, and later shifted to the corporate hospital on April 6.

He was a diabetic and also suffered from hypertension.

Tamil Nadu has so far reported 11 fatalities due to the virus while the cumulative total of those infected as on Monday stood at 1,173.

Of these, 31 of were children below the age of 10, the government said.

Meanwhile, 40 police personnel in Coimbatore are undergoing tests for coronavirus after a person who served food to a few of them tested positive for COVID19 on Monday.

According to police, a 61-year old man who had volunteered to provide food to these police personnel on duty at various locations was in the latest list of COVID19 cases.

He had visited Delhi for personal reasons and returned to the city on March 23 by flight.

He had initially tested negative twice for the virus and visited the police stations and district collectorate and served food to the police personnel.

However, after he developed cough and cold two days ago, the swab samples were sent for testing, and later it emerged he was infected with the virus. He has now been admitted to a local hospital, police said.

Subsequently, health authorities approached senior police officials to send the 40 police personnel, including an Inspector, to Primary Health Centre for testing, which was under progress, they said.

Officials are tracking the travel contacts and family members of the man.

Meanwhile, the blood samples of nearly 100 people, residents of an apartment complex in RS Puram area in the city where four people tested positive for COVID19 a couple of days ago, have been taken for tests.

These include those who attended a funeral at the apartment, officials said.