BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Thursday made it clear that dead bodies cannot be taken out from hospital campuses without producing death certificate and decided to form a district level WhatsApp group to exchange information on death of people at hospitals.
In a letter to district Collectors and Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs), Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Pramod Kumar Meherda advised to constitute a WhatsApp group and exchange information on people dying at hospitals.
The decision to exchange such information on social media within the officials’ group was taken in the wake of an incident at Rasalpur in Jajpur district where two youths were seen carrying their mother’s dead body on shoulders from hospital.
Meherda said the district and block level officials have been asked to exchange information on death of people coming to hospitals, issuance of death certificate, discharge of dead bodies and postmortem through the WatsApp group.
‘‘Once shared on the group, the officials concerned will be aware of the status of each and every death reports at hospitals in their respective areas and take a decision on how to discharge the body,’’ he said.
Though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had launched a new scheme ‘Mahaprayan’ to facilitate transportation of bodies from hospitals a day after Dana Majhi incident in August last year, it is yet to be followed properly.
The Health Secretary also informed that the medical officers have been asked to inform the kin of the deceased about the facilities and funds available at hospitals to transport dead bodies.
‘‘Now onwards, no dead body would be discharged from the hospital without any appropriate document. The medical officer will discharge the body only after receiving acknowledgment from the kin of the deceased on the transportation facility,’’ Meherda clarified.
The WhatsApp group will include BDOs, Tehsildars, all medical officers, SDMOs and CDMO of the district concerned and share detailed death reports and related information on whether kin of the deceased is aware of the transport facilities.