Son Battling Covid-19 At Hospital, Mother’s Body Left Unattended By Kin For 12 Hours

Sonepur: While a man battles for life at the Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital after being infected with Covid 19, the body of his elderly mother, who succumbed to the same virus, lay unattended on the verandah of her house  for over 12 hours.

The heart wrenching incident has been reported from Belapada in Binika area of Sonepur district.
55-year-old Dasarathy Behera of Belapada had tested positive for the covid-19 and has been under medical supervision for the last eight day at the health institute.

On the other hand, his 74-year-old mother Susila Behera who was under home quarantine after being diagnosed with covid positive on May 9, succumbed to the virus on Wednesday.

However, neither her relatives nor did the neighbors come forward to lend shoulders and perform the funeral rites,  a mark of dignity to the dead person.

After abandoning the body for almost 12 hours, the villagers informed the Binika NAC authorities to take it for cremation.

“We received the information regarding the body lying unattended. We are making arrangements for performing her last rites,” Binika executive officer in-charge Niranjan Naik said.
Similar incidents of covid patients’ bodies having been left untouched by relatives are occurring everywhere in the State, encouraging social stigma and degradation of social values.