A hospital dispatched the wrong body of a Covid-19 victim to Jamshedpur on Saturday morning, triggering protests in the steel town which later prompted Ranchi district administration to file an FIR against the erring heal hub located in Irba in Ormanjhi.

Md Samid Ansari (60), who was admitted to Asclepius Center for Medical Sciences Hospital, died of Covid on Friday afternoon. Thereafter, his family members sought the permission of the Ranchi district administration to take Ansari’s body to his home in Mango, under Azad Nagar police station, in Jamshedpur.

However, when the body was wheeled in at the funeral site on Saturday morning, family members wanted to see him for the last time. To their shock, they found the body to be that of a woman.

Thereafter, the family approached the local police station and contacted health minister Banna Gupta to complain about the lapse. One of Ansari’s relatives who lives in Ranchi said, “Ansari was admitted to hospital for age related ailments three days back. But he tested positive. During the course of treatment, he died.”

Taking cognizance of the gaffe, the district administration soon swung into action and lodged an FIR against the private hospital. Ranchi SDO Lokesh Mishra said, “The hospital has given a wrong dead body to the family living in Jamshedpur. We have taken cognizance of the lapse and after finding the claim to be true we have filed an FIR against the hospital. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for the lapse. In times of Covid-19, such lapses could be dangerous and the district administration will not shy away from taking action against anyone.”