Tiff over exchange of bodies at hospital

Mangalore, September 10: It is an uncommon occurrence for students to exchange textbooks, or notebooks in their hurry to rush home. Here is a classic case of human error, where bodies of two persons were exchanged while they were being delivered to relatives from the mortuary.

The body of Ganesh, a resident of Bantwal who died in an accident was kept in the mortuary of Government Wenlock Hospital. Meanwhile, the body of Raju from Tamil Nadu, who died falling from a fishing boat four days ago, too, was kept at the same morgue.

Incidentally, relatives of both dead persons reached the mortuary to claim the bodies on Thursday. After the autopsy, mortuary staff brought the body of Ganesh outside first. Immediately, relatives of Raju took the body without identifying it and kept it in the ambulance which they hired. However, they did not leave the mortuary premises as they had to wait for one of their relatives.

When the mortuary staff brought the body of Raju outside, relatives of Ganesh came forward to claim it. However, relatives of Ganesh found that the body was not of their kin. Following this, a verbal tiff ensued between both relatives and the hospital staff. Relatives of both sides took the mortuary staff to task. Later, the commotion ended after both relatives exchanging the bodies.

Wenlock Hospital resident medical officer P Saroja told TOI that both were medico-legal cases and hence, the hospital staff had handed over the bodies to police. Hence, the police and the relatives should have confirmed the identity of bodies before it was delivered, she added.