It’s like participating in a procession of the dead, says Kolkata crematorium official
The Hindu
Non-COVID patients die because they are not able to get timely medical attention in the pandemic
Pradipta Chattopadhyay is accustomed to watching the dead being brought in, but even he is shaken by the news of the deaths being caused by COVID-19, so much so that he chokes momentarily when he thinks of those he has lost in the recent weeks. “If someone goes to the hospital after a heart attack or because of any other disease, you have a fair idea how things are going to turn out. But with COVID-19, you never know. These days, when you hear of a relative or a friend contracting COVID-19, the first thing you ask yourself is: will they be able to make it?” he said. Mr. Chattopadhyay, 56, is a Sub-Registrar at one of the seven crematoriums run by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation — he signs the all-important piece of paper certifying that one is dead and has been cremated. He is posted at the crematorium in south Kolkata’s Garia — a facility easily a few hundred years old — where, during pre-COVID days, hardly 10-12 bodies were brought in on a daily basis. During the first wave of the pandemic last year, this number rose to about 20 and now, during the second wave, this figure oscillates between 35 and 45.More Related News
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