Nikhat Fatima, Siyasat.net
Hyderabad: It is close to one year since the spread of the pandemic COVID-19. With nearly 1,84,000 COVID cases and close to 1100 deaths, the fear and stigma associated with COVID has not lessened and continues unabated.
A group of volunteers comprising youth and some NGOs have stepped in to take care of the dead bodies by giving them a decent burial. Yet there are cases where the dead bodies are either not accepted by the families or not allowed by the neighbours even when the death is not due to COVID. Hyderabad has been witnessing these incidents where bodies are denied funeral even when the person dies due to other reasons. Siyasat.net had covered about the case of Khwaja Miyan who had died due to cardiac arrest but denied burial in 5 qabristans. And finally he found his resting place in a Hindu burial ground much to the chagrin of other Muslims of the city who expressed their dismay to the chairperson of Wakf. The chairperson of Wakf has given some directions to the Mutwalis of the Muslim graveyards to not deny burial but it is alleged that the same situation is till prevailing.
One recent incident occurred yesterday night 25th September, when a person died due to some health problem but the authorities of a private hospital in Mehdipatnam suspected COVID and did not want to keep the body in the hospital. And the deceased person, a senior lady who hailed from Toli Chowki was not allowed entry in her apartment either because the other residents in the building refused due to the fear of COVID.
The hospital authorities called up Helping Hands Foundation (HHF), a NGO that has been one among the forefront COVID warriors in the city to take the body. The NGO workers took the body in their ambulance and began preparations for a burial according to Islamic rites. But due to the continuous rains pounding the city, the work was taking more time than usual.
Left with no choice, they decided to keep the body in the ambulance till the grave is ready for burial. “Our ambulance driver E. Pradeep, stayed through the night till early morning to hand over the body for final rites without blinking an eye,” said Mr Askari heading HHF.
This is 2nd such case in the last few months where an ambulance has used for mortuary services in the pandemic due to the fear and stigma.
“HHF salutes its COVID Warriors, who are working in providing much needed relief to the people of the city, regardless of their caste or creed in acute distress” Mr Mujtaba Askari added.
