coastaldigest.com web desk
June 30,2020
Ballari, June 30: A video clip of dead bodies of covid-19 victims being disgracefully thrown into a pit said to be in Karnataka’s Ballari has gone viral on social media triggering outrage from netizens.
Ballari Deputy Commissioner SS Nakul ordered a probe. He told media persons that the veracity of the video is still under question and that it still needs to be established if the video was taken in Ballari.
In the video, a pit is seen which appears to be disinfected. The video features masked men covered in body suits bringing dead bodies from a black hearse van in black body bags one by one and throwing the dead bodies into the same pit. In all, three dead bodies are thrown into the same pit in the video.
"We have assigned an Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) to enquire and verify the same. We are awaiting reports. We don't know yet if it (the video) is from Ballari or not," Nakul said.
The district which has so far reported around 800 cases in the last three months has also witnessed around two dozen deaths.
Twitterati on Tuesday raised questions about the handling of the bodies. "Even dead have some respect and they deserved a decent burial," said a social activist from Ballari. Similar reactions echoed on social media and some also pointed out on how the family members who have to stay away from burials feel about it.
Covid burial protocol
According to the protocol set by the Union Health Ministry for the burial of Covid-19 patients, the patients' orifices (nose, mouth and ears) have to be sealed and the body has to be wrapped in three layers of personal protective equipment (PPE). Thereafter it should be placed in a body bag. Family members should not be allowed to accompany the body in the hearse van. Covid-19 victims have to be given a deep burial. The grave should be minimum 10-feet deep.
The grave should be disinfected with bleaching powder and the area should be cordoned off so that the general public is not in the vicinity. The vehicle used to transport the dead body of a Covid-19 victim -- ambulance or a hearse van -- has to be disinfected for 16 hours before being used again. Most Covid-19 victims in the state have had burials in the absence of family members as they are generally in quarantine for being the primary contacts of the patient.
Comments
Dear Dubai BCF,
Please accept my heartiest congratulations on this glorious achievement of serving the poor and needy people of our own, South Kanara. In today's God Forsaken Planet, where every other headline reads about the ongoing unjustice in the World, Your efforts has restored the faith in the humanity. Kudos to all of you for that! It is a proud moment for the entire Beary Community.
As a fellow social worker and someone who shares similar ideologies, my humble suggestion would be to establish a fixed income generating assets back home ( Mangalore ) which would ensure that our needy people have all their basic needs fulfilled perennially without having to depend on funds from the Middle East. Most of the social work amongst our Beary Community is dependent on funds flowing from the Middle East but with the current Oil crises, my suggestion is in the need of the hour.
Inspired by your work, We the Bearys in Muscat have decided to form an Association in the forthcoming days and serve the Community in whatever way possible.
I wish you all the success in your future endeavours. May ALLAH (swt) support all of you in the noble cause of helping the less fortunate ( Aameen ).
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