No relatives turn up to claim COVID patient’s body, medical staffs perform last rites in Odisha

Mahanga: In a sad incident, hospital authorities and health workers had to perform the last rites of a corona patient after none of his family members came forward to claim the body in Cuttack district of Odisha.

The incident has been reported from Brahmanijori village under Paikarapur panchayat of Mahanga block in Cuttack district.

According to sources, 52-year-old Kishore Chandra Jena of Brahmanijori village was working at a hotel in Puri. He had returned back to his village after he had symptoms of coronavirus on April 20.

He was admitted to Mahanga medical on April 23 after his condition worsened. He was released after treatment. But his condition further deteriorated this morning following which the 108 ambulances was called to take him to the hospital again. However, he had breathed his last before the arrival of the emergency vehicle.

Meanwhile, fearing he might have died of coronavirus, no villagers and relatives turned up to claim the body of Jena.

Also Read: Restrictions On Cremation Of Bodies By Non-Puri Residents In Swargadwar

With no other option left, Mahanga Medical Accountant Santosh Satapathy and his associates along with the help of some social workers performed the last rites of Jena.

Jena is now survived by his wife and three children. Adding to their woes, his youngest son is a mentally-retarded. As the deceased was the sole bread earner for the family, the family now looks at an uncertain future ahead with no other source of income.