GMSH-16 doctors refuse post-mortem, later agree when DC sanction comes

The seven years old was cremated by her grandparents and other family members. Her parents, admitted to PGI, not yet told about the tragedy

Even as Pappu and Pinky, a couple who are admitted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), are waiting to be operated upon for multiple injuries, their parents and other relatives faced harassment while claiming the body of their seven-year-old child Aarti aka Gonu who was declared dead on arrival at the hospital on Sunday. The family was among those who were on their way to Sirsa when the accident occurred at Narwana.

Aarti along with other injured was referred to PGI from a Civil Hospital at Narwana. However, post-mortem on her body was conducted at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16 .

"We went to claim Gonu's body in the morning at GMSH-16 where she had been referred to. But doctors said the post-mortem will not be conducted here as the accident occurred at Narwana. They asked us to take the body to Narwana," Panchhi, uncle of the deceased, told Chandigarh Newsline.

As per norms, the post-mortem on a person who is declared dead on arrival is conducted at the hospital in the jurisdiction of the place where the accident occurs. Following the protocol, the GMSH-16 authorities referred this particular case to Narwana, a place 170 km from Chandigarh.

Dejected, the family of the deceased went to the District Commissioner's office. "I was waiting outside the office of DC while the others went inside to get the sanction for the post-mortem to be done at GMSH-16. They came out after some time, but the sanction letter was not signed," said Panchhi.

He then added that one of the family members then went to the residence of Union Minister for Railways Pawan Bansal in Sector 28. Following calls from there, the sanction for post-mortem was received.

... contd.

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