District Administration issues sop for cremation/burial of covid patients' bodies

Ludhiana: The District Administration Ludhiana on Thursday issued a  standard operating procedure (SOP) document  for the management of bodies of Covid-19 victims in Ludhiana. 

As per SOP, the a Covid cremation management cell has been formed in the Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital Ludhiana which is functioning under the supervision of MC Joint Commissioner Swati Tiwana and anyone can contact on the cremation cell's helpline numbers 9501500101, 7719712797 and 9501500102 for ensuring that family of the deceased face no problem in accomplishing the last rites .

All the hospitals having L-II and L-III facilities have been strictly ordered to ensure whenever any Covid-19 patient succumbed, the body would be kept in the mortuary and hospital would immediately ring Dr Harveer (98154-77868). None of health facility would release the body in case of inadequate arrangements of the transportation to ferry body to crematoriums/cemetery. The hospitals can also contact at the helpline numbers of for mortuary van. Dr Harveer will inform the hospitals within one hour along with allotted vehicle, crematoriums/cemetery, timing of arrival of van. 

Further in the crematoriums/cemetery, Jasdev Sekhon (80542-00092) would ensure that teams going for cremation/burial will follow all safety protocols including wearing of PPE kits and others and cops would keep vigil on the maintenance of social distancing, masking at these places. 

Swati Tiwana informed that the district administration is having 10 mortuary vans, out of which 5 have been arranged by District Administration Ludhiana, along with 5 vans by NGO Samvedna. In the coming week more mortuary vans and ambulances will be roped in with the help of Secreatry RTA, Sundeep Singh Garha. Tiwana said that other NGOs should also assist the district administration in this hour of need.

A meeting with all the private hospitals with L2 and L3 facility has been carried out under the Chairmanship of Commissioner Municipal Corporation Ludhiana Pradeep Sabharwal. MC Councillor Mamta Ashu and other nodal officers of the departments were also present in the meeting to ensure that protocols and instructions are followed strictly.