The body of a woman who died at BR Singh Hospital after testing negative for Covid-19 has been handed over to the CMC for cremation instead of a Covid positive person’s body, her family has alleged.

The Telegraph could not contact the hospital.

Family members of the woman, a 67-year-old Howrah resident, have made the allegation in a letter to Narkeldanga police station. They said the hospital called them on Friday to collect the body as her test reports were negative.

On reaching the hospital they were handed over another body. It was then they got to know the woman’s body had been handed over to the Calcutta Municipal Corporation for cremation two days ago in an apparent case of mistaken identity with another woman who had died of Covid-19, the family has said in the letter.

The family received a communication from the hospital, signed by its director, saying the body had been “wrongly handed over after identification of the dead body” by the other woman’s son. The letter said the process of handing over the body had been videographed. This woman died on July 31 and the Howrah resident on August 3.

Covid body

A 72-year-old woman in Kestopur who had tested positive for Covid lay dead in her bedroom for over 15 hours till Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation officials removed the body for cremation on Friday.

Usha Rani Mondal, who used to stay alone, had fever for several days. She took a Covid test on August 2. Her report on Tuesday showed she was positive and she was advised home isolation.

On Thursday evening, neighbours alerted her son when she did not respond to knocks on the door. Her son got in touch with the local councillor. The body was removed on Friday.