Delay in release of bodies from hosps upsets kin

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An 83-year-old woman had died in the state capital on August 1. She was bed-ridden for the last five months and the death occurred at home. The body was taken to medical college hospital and antigen test was done immediately and it tested positive. For confirmation RT-PCR was also done, the result had come after three days which was also Covid-19 positive.Then the sample was sent to NIV, Alappuzha. The result has not yet come. The body is kept at the mortuary since the last eight days.
This is not an isolated incident being reported in the state. The practice of hospitals referring samples of all Covid-19 death suspect cases for confirmation at NIV, Alappuzha, is causing difficulties to relatives of the deceased.
Doctors are of the opinion that the dead bodies need not be kept at the mortuary waiting for results when the first test result itself becomes positive. “There is absolutely no need for sending the samples again for testing to NIV, Alappuzha,” said Dr Arun N M, internal medicine expert.
In most cases, test results arrive between 7 to 12 days and dead bodies will have to be kept in the morgue till the receipt of result. Even if the result of the RT-PCR test done in another lab finds the case covid-19 positive, hospitals insist on sending samples to NIV, Alappuzha.
“We are totally clueless when the result will come. Everyday, we are contacting hospital authorities to know the status. Even they are clueless about it,” said a relative of the woman.
The health department is following the protocol that samples of all deaths should be sent to NIV, Alappuzha for final confirmation. Only then it is determined whether it is Covid death or not. But the delay in getting the results are also delaying release of the bodies from hospitals.
“The sample load has increased and hence there is a huge backlog at NIV, Alappuzha. Hence there will be delay. But the question is whether it is necessary to conduct repeat checking of samples to confirm Covid deaths. The protocols have to be changed,” said a doctor from medical college hospital.