The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike on Friday issued protocol to be followed after a patient succumbs to COVID-19 or a deceased is suspected to have caught the virus. This comes in the wake of complaints on delays in handing over bodies of the deceased to relatives.
As per the protocol, if a person with COVID-19 dies in a hospital, it is the job of the hospital authorities to collect Aadhaar copies or any proof of identity and COVID-19 positive report of the deceased. Details should be updated in the patient management portal online.
For suspected COVID-19 cases where deaths have occurred in hospitals, a provisional cause of death certificate should be issued. Throat swabs of the deceased should be collected for testing by the jurisdictional BBMP UPHC. The body should be handed over to the relatives with instructions to transfer to the crematorium/burial ground immediately under intimation to zonal BBMP officials.
If a person with COVID-19 dies at home, the photograph of the body should be taken by the jurisdictional BBMP medical officer to rule out any injuries/unnatural death. After the required documents are collected and cause of death certificate is issued, the body should be packed by the jurisdictional UPHC as per the SOP. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be provided by the zonal BBMP officials to the crematorium staff.
The protocol is similar in cases of suspected COVID-19 deaths at home. Throat swab of the deceased should be collected for COVID-19 testing by the jurisdictional UPHC. All hospitals are required to maintain a register with details of COVID-19 related deaths. Documents pertaining to death and treatment should be maintained for death audits and provided to the BBMP when required. Crematoria/burial grounds cannot deny services irrespective of the zone in which the patient resided. They have been directed to function every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
