Villagers in Bhadradri refuse non-coronavirus man body to pass by homes

People from Nagaram village of Palvancha Mandal in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district refused to pass a non-COVID man's body in front of their house for the last rites on the belief that he died of coronavirus.

With the denial of body passing in front of the houses in the village, the man's body was kept in his home for 24 hours. Getting into details, Venkataiah suffered a heart attack and died while being shifted to the government hospital in Palvancha. Believing that he might have died of coronavirus, they refused to allow the body to pass in front of their homes.

However, a farmer, Ranjith helped the family to hold the last rites of Ventaiah by shifting the body in a tractor attaching to a trolley. Ranjith said that the none from gram panchayat has come to the aid of the family despite receiving money from the government to dispose of the bodies.

Bhadradri Kothagudem on Wednesday reported 44 coronavirus positive cases out of the total 1,897 fresh cases reported across the state. Last week, Bhadradri deputy DMHO Dr G Naresh Kumar died of coronavirus while undergoing treatment in a hospital. Dr Naresh was the in-charge of coronavirus quarantine centre in Manuguru from where he was suspected to have contracted the virus.