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4 years ago

Buried as coronavirus patient, man’s test report comes with another person’s name

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The family members of a man have alleged the authorities forced them away to bury him after his death as a coronavirus (COVID-19) patient at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka.

His brother said on Friday they have not received the death certificate two days after the passing of Md Anarul Haque from Shibganj upazila of Chanpainawabganj district, reports bdnews24.com.

Moreover, the coronavirus test report the authorities handed the family has the name of another person of different age on it.

The report made by a lab at the Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital came out negative.

Anarul’s brother ‘Masud’ said Anarul had been living in the hostel of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) where his wife was a staff nurse. He stayed at the hostel after her wife’s death around three months ago to complete some formalities.

Anarul fell ill with fever, cold and pneumonia-like symptoms, akin to those of coronavirus, the respiratory illness caused by the deadly virus.

He was first taken to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital and then transferred to the Suhrawardy hospital when he fainted last Wednesday, Masud said.

Anarul was kept at the isolation ward as a suspected coronavirus patient. He died there at 8:00pm the same day.

Masud said medics collected specimens from his brother’s throat but the hospital authorities declined to hand over the body.

When he went to the hospital again on Thursday morning, the doctor and officials asked him to sign papers for Anarul’s burial at Khilgaon-Taltola Graveyard, which has been designated for COVID-19 patients.

“They were rude to me when I declined to sign them. They threw away the papers. They said that they will take away the body even I don’t sign. I don’t have anyone there. So I had no other option but to sign them,” Masud said.

He alleged he wanted to go to the graveyard but the officials barred him saying that he had no protective gear.

“I will never forget this sad moment,” he said.

Masud could not name the doctor or the officials. He said there were some policemen with them as well.

The Suhrwardy hospital registered Anarul as 55-year-old, but according to his national ID card, he was 52.

The test report given by the Shishu hospital has the name of one “Ashik” aged 70 on it.

“How will I go home now? I should have been quarantined [if Anarul has coronavirus]. The neighbours at my home are also suspecting that he had coronavirus as he has been buried in Dhaka,” Masud said.

Uttam Kumar Barua, the director of the Suhrawardy hospital, said he was unaware of Masud’s allegations.

“I will look into them,” he said.

He also admitted that it will create more problems if the report comes out to be of someone else’s.

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