Emerging as new hotspot, control room in Rajkot to coordinate hospitals and crematoriums

After Ahmedabad and Surat, Rajkot city is emerging as a new coronavirus hotspot in the state, forcing the government to start new measures to contain the virus and mismanagement.

On Friday, the local administration set up a control room to coordinate between hospitals and crematoriums to avoid piling up of dead bodies and delay in conducting the last rites.

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The decision comes after several local reports suggested more people are dying than are being reported in the city which is home to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

The reports and pictures widely circulated on social media revealed a large number of dead bodies wrapped in plastic sheets lined up at Rajkot civil hospital for cremation. However, officials have denied the reports which claimed that the "actual death caused by coronavirus is less than what is being reported."

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When contacted, Rajkot Municipal Commissioner Udit Agrawal denied such reports and told DH, "The control room will be working round the clock and we have appointed a nodal officer for better coordination between crematoriums and hospitals. It has been done in anticipation but as on today, there is no such situation. This is part of the preparation to avoid delays and confusion."

Rajkot city reported 105 new positive cases on Friday, the third-highest after Surat's 181 and Ahmedabad's 152 cases.

Official figures stated that two patients passed away in Rajkot since Thursday evening but locals have claimed that the actual figure is much higher as the authorities don't count deaths of those who have comorbid conditions.

"The death audit team, consisting of doctors, actually decide it based on medical reports of patients," a senior officer told DH.

"People from various parts of Saurashtra region come to Rajkot for treatment, especially to the civil hospital and that's the reason it is always crowded.

Since we have to follow guidelines as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in every death, even non-COVID, disposing of the bodies gets delayed as they have to be wrapped up in sheets and handed over to relatives for last rites in presence of designated officials," added the senior officer who is supervising the Covid-19 related work.