Gujarat news: Long wait at Gujarat & Chhattisgarh Struggle to Cremate COVID Patients

 

The News Cover: There is a spike in coronavirus infections in India and the mortality rate has increased too. India had a limited number of crematoriums as the mortality rate was low. Cremations have increased because of coronavirus infections, old age, and other health ailments. People have had to wait for 8-12 hours in a queue to cremate COVID patients. 

This is happening in Gujarat for the last 1 week. In Surat, Gujarat around 25 bodies were cremated simultaneously on wood pyres at night. Officials said, Hindus generally do not cremate the dead after sunset but because of the coronavirus, crematoriums are full and there are long queues. 

This is why 25 people were cremated simultaneously. Gujarat authorities have reopened defunct facilities to cremate the increasing number of dead in the state. Metal pyres that utilise less wood have been installed to speeden the cremation process by generating more heat. Another incident was reported in Chhattisgarh. 

A garbage truck which did not contain any trash, was used to ferry the bodies of patients who died of COVID-19 to the crematorium. How shocking! The workers were wearing PPE suits and transporting the bodies. The shocking incident is because of shortage of ambulance amidst the spike in cases.