COVID-19: Bodies to be sent to mortuaries within 2 hours

New Delhi, May 31: Bodies of persons who died of COVID-19 or suspected to have died of it at hospitals are to be sent to mortuaries within two hours, authorities said on Saturday.

Delhi government's heath department announced additional guidelines for disposal of bodies of patients who had COVID-19 or were suspected to be suffering from it.

The death toll from COVID-19 in Delhi on Saturday rose to 416.

Bodies of persons who died of COVID-19 or suspected to have died of it at hospitals, or those brought dead at hospitals are to be sent to mortuaries within two hours, the order said.

If the family or relatives of the deceased, themselves contact mortuary authorities within 12 hours of death, the hospital shall schedule cremation or burial within 24 hours in consultation with the family and the area's municipal corporation, it added.

If the family or relatives do not contact within 12 hours, an intimation be sent out to them informing about the place and time of the cremation or burial, authorities said.

In case of unidentified or abandoned bodies of persons who died of COVID-19 or suspected to have died of it, the Delhi police shall complete all legal formalities within 72 hours of death and dispose the body in next 24 hours as per the protocol, it said.

If the address of the deceased happened to be outside Delhi, medical director of hospitals must send a notice to resident commissioner of the respective state or Union territory, seeking communication from the other side in 48 hours, according to the order.

If no response is received, the body is to be cremated by the hospital in the next 24 hours, it said.