Strict action against agencies charging more to handover bodies of +ve patients

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation will take strong action against the agencies responsible for handing over COVID-19 victims to the civic body authorities for performing the last rites for charging exorbitantly. There have been complaints of overcharging on the part of these agencies while handing over dead bodies of persons with Covid.

Sources said that KMC has deployed two private agencies for handing over the bodies of Covid victims from private hospitals to the civic body for cremation. The rate for such work has been fixed at Rs 5000. The agency needs to pay the doms, who wear PPE and carry the body from the mortuary to the KMC vehicle.

The KMC hearse vans then transports the bodies to its designated COVID-19 crematoriums for performing the last rites.

"If we receive complaints against agencies charging exorbitantly, we may revoke their contract after we verify that such allegations are true," said Aitn Ghosh, Member Board of Administrators, KMC who is in charge of the Health department.

The aggrieved persons can call at 9830011041 and 9830555111 for complaints.