Follow ICMR guidelines on Covid tests on dead bodies: High Court

Hyderabad: The High Court on Thursday directed the State government to follow the ICMR guidelines in the cases of collecting blood samples from the dead bodies and testing it for covid-19.

The High Court expressed deep concern over not conducting Covid-19 tests on dead bodies and said when a person dies in a hospital, the hospital authorities certify the cause of his death, but what if he dies at home, who will certify his cause of death.

In this crucial period of lockdown, the cause of death of a person needs to be verified so that his family members and others live safely, subject to the fact that they are not affected by corona.

The Division bench comprising Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice K Lakshman hearing on two Public Interest Litigations filed by Rtd. Prof PL Vishveshwar Rao and Rtd Dr KP Rajender Kumar, whose prayed that that the health officials should collect the blood samples from the dead bodies and send them for Covid-19 tests to ascertain whether the person died of Coronavirus or not.

If such a person died of the corona, then the family members, relatives and his friends should also be tested for corona to break the chain link of Covid-19.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the Bench that such testing on dead bodies is nowhere mentioned in ICMR guidelines, nor in the WHO guidelines. Moreover, in a day nearly 900-1000 deaths occur in the State and PME is conducted only in cases of accidents.

After the observation of both the PIL's the Bench ruled out closing either of the cases, further, this court is directing the State government to follow the ICMR guidelines relating to Covid-19 tests on dead bodies. The case is adjourned to May 26.