Mumbai Hospital Mix-Up - Family Handed Wrong Body, Last Rites Performed

A civic-run hospital in Mumbai, Maharashtra, has been accused of handing over the body of a patient to the wrong family, following which the actual family members created a ruckus at the premises.

The family of the 26-year-old also alleged that his kidney was removed during postmortem.

The mix-up happened at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital on Sunday, following which two staffers of its mortuary were suspended and a probe was launched into the matter, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said today.

"Strict action will be taken against those found guilty," the BMC said, while dismissing the allegation that the man's kidney was removed.

On Sunday, the Sion Hospital handed over the body of Ankush Sarvade, who died due to injuries while undergoing treatment after a road accident, to the family of another patient, Hemant Digambar.

According to the BMC, Ankush Sarvade was admitted to the Sion Hospital on August 28 after a road accident and was on life support following an operation. He died due to injuries on Sunday morning.

#WATCH Mumbai: Relatives of a man who died at Sion Hospital due to injuries from an accident, create ruckus after his body got exchanged with that of another deceased. He was already cremated by the other family. BMC says "Two staff suspended, committee formed for probe." (13.09) pic.twitter.com/S4ZVJQjKfJ

— ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2020

Meanwhile, Hemant Digambar was "brought dead" to the hospital on August 12, it said.

The Sion Hospital conducted postmortem of both the bodies on Sunday and the bodies were kept in the medical facility's mortuary, the BMC said in a release.

Hemant Digambar's family members wrongly identified Ankush Sarvade's body and completed all due procedures including a "police signature", the civic body said.

The error came to light when Ankush Sarvade's relatives came to collect his body. However, by that time, Hemant Digamber's family had performed the funeral, it said.

Ankush Sarvade's family members then started protesting in the hospital, but police intervened and brought the situation under control, the civic body said.