A Behala family with four Covid-19 patients struggled for hours on Sunday night and Monday morning to arrange for the cremation of the eldest member, who died within hours of receiving the report of the coronavirus test on Sunday night.

Several doctors refused to issue the death certificate, sources close to the family said. A doctor in Bhowanipore allegedly demanded Rs 800 but the victim’s relative who approached him was not carrying enough cash.

The family finally got the document after the local Trinamul MLA, minister Partha Chatterjee, came to know about their plight and contacted a doctor.

The incident highlights the uncertainties a family faces after the death of a Covid-19 patient at home. The problem is compounded by the fact that the immediate family of the victim is quarantined and has to depend on friends and relatives for getting the formalities done.

Metro spoke to police, health department and Calcutta Municipal Corporation officials to know what a family should do if a member who tested positive for Covid-19 passes away at home.

Q: Who to approach for the death certificate?

A: “No person who has tested positive for Covid-19 can stay home without the consent of a doctor. In case of death, the same doctor can be approached for the death certificate,” said an official of the health department. A Covid patient with mild or no symptoms can be allowed to stay home only if she or he can stay isolated from others in the family.

Q: Why did the Behala family have to wait for hours before they could arrange for a death certificate?

A: The patient had received the Covid test report only a few hours before he died. There was hardly any time for official consultation with any doctor on whether the person could stay quarantined at home, the family has apparently told the police.

Q: Who to approach for a death certificate in such cases?

A: CMC officials said there was no specific guideline for approaching any particular agency for a death certificate. “The family physician could be approached. Also, help can be sought from the local councillor or ward coordinator or police, who might help the family get in touch with a doctor. But no doctor is under any compulsion to issue a death certificate,” an official said.

Q: What documents are needed for the cremation of a person who tested positive for Covid-19 and died at home?

A: The death certificate, the Covid-19 test report and a no-objection certificate signed by family members stating they would like to hand over the body to the CMC for cremation in accordance with the Covid protocol. All three documents need to be sent to the local police station.

“The family can mail or WhatsApp the documents to us if physical hand-over is a problem,” an officer at Lalbazar said.

The officer in charge of the police station sends a letter to the municipal commissioner through Covid coordinators of the area informing the civic body about the death of the patient in home isolation and that the officer is in possession of the three documents.

“After that, the CMC will activate the departments concerned to send a hearse to transport the body for cremation,” a police officer said.

Q: How long should the whole process take?

A: The CMC says it cremates a body within 24 hours of death. But it could take time to complete the process until the CMC is activated. Communication remains a problem, too. The families, bereaved and quarantined, often do not have any clue about what next. The uncertainty can lead to confusion and panic.