There’s good news in store for relatives of the dead who are left at the mercy of private hearse van operators for want of one operating at night time from Hospicio.
MARGAO
Taking cognizance of the hardships being faced by the families in transporting the dead bodies from Hospicio and the district hospital to the TB sanatorium mortuary, more so in times of Covid, South Goa District Collector Ajit Roy on Friday issued an order requisitioning two hears vans at the disposal of the Hospicio and district hospitals.
The two hearse vans requisitioned from the civic bodies in South Goa will be at the disposal of the these two hospitals round the clock to shift the bodies, Covid or not, from the hospital premises to the TB sanatorium mortuary.
Of the two hearse vans, the hearse van requisitioned from the Cuncolim Municipal Council is now at the disposal of the Hospicio Medical Superintendent Dr Deepa Correia and the same will be available round-the-clock.
Hospicio officials welcomed the Collector’s order requisitioning the hearse vans, saying the round-the-clock facility will not only save the families of the dead from the clutches of the private hearse van operators, but will make available a dedicated hearse van facilities with the government-run hospital.
As reported by The Goan earlier, government-run hearse vans operate only during day time, between 8.30 am to 6 pm, leaving the families of the dead to knock the doors of the private hearse van operators to shift the bodies from the hospital to the mortuary.
The Goan had on Thursday reported that the private hearse van operators charge around Rs 1500 just to shift a dead body from the Hospital to the Mortuary in the night.
Hospicio doctors pointed out that the Collector’s order will be of immense help to the hospital in the event the private hearse van operators hesitate to transport Covid-positive bodies.