Residents oppose cremation of Covid-19 patient in Jammu district

Arteev Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu, June 2 

Residents of Domana in Jammu district on Tuesday opposed the cremation of septuagenarian man, from Doda district’s Tarawan village, in their area, forcing authorities to bring back the body to Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu.

According to police sources, a team of health and civil administration officials, following all protocols, went to Domana area for the cremation of a 72-year-old man, who died due to coronavirus at GMC Jammu on Monday, around 6.30 am, without taking the local people or police officials into confidence.

“Residents resisted the cremation of the coronavirus positive person, arguing that it would spread the infection in their area. They suggested that his last rites should be performed in his native village in Doda district,” sources said.

Reports have also suggested that some locals also pelted the health workers and police officials with stones after the latter tried to persuade them to allow the cremation. However, the police denied any incident of stone-pelting in the area.

Sensing trouble, the team of health workers and police brought back the body to the hospital. “The body is now being shifted to the deceased’s native village for last rites,” a police official said.

This is the second incident where residents have opposed the cremation of a coronavirus-positive person in their area.

On May 13, the last rites of an elderly person from Digiana area, who also died due to coronavirus at GMC Jammu, were opposed by the residents of Jogi gate area. They allegedly did not allow the cremation in their area forcing authorities to shift the body back to the mortuary of the hospital. His last rites were performed at Shastri Nagar cremation ground on May 14.

On Monday, three persons died of Covid-19 while 155 others tested positive for the virus in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total caseload in J-K to 2,601. Among them were eight pregnant women. So far, 31 deaths due to coronavirus have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir.

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