MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to file an affidavit with details about how bodies of deceased COVID-19 patients were handled and disposed.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Amjad Sayed was hearing a petition filed by BJP MLA Ashish Shelar raising concerns about the manner in which bodies of deceased COVID-19 patients were handled at the civic-run Sion Hospital in central Mumbai.
Shelar, in his plea, sought a direction to the government and civic authorities to immediately stop the practice of keeping bodies of deceased coronavirus patients in wards where people are being treated for the infection.
The petitioner claimed that several videos had surfaced from the hospital, which showed bodies of deceased patients lying on beds or on ground, right next to people who were undergoing treatment for the deadly infection.
Shelar sought an inquiry into the incident and a direction to the government and civic body to follow procedure laid down by the Centre and World Health Organisation (WHO) for safe handling and disposal of bodies of deceased patients.
The bench directed the government and BMC to file their affidavit and posted the matter for further hearing next week.