Andhra Pradesh: Presumed dead, 75-year-old COVID-recovered patient returns home

New Delhi: In a case bizarre case, a 75-year old woman presumed to be dead by her family due to COVID-19, returned home on Wednesday — 15 days after her last rites were performed.

The hospital authorities had handed over a wrapped body which her family took for cremation and hurriedly conducted the last rites fearing COVID-19 infection.

Mutyala Girijamma a resident of in Jaggaiahpet town of Krishna district was infected with coronavirus and was subsequently declared dead and cremated on May 15. She returned after more than two weeks of her family completing her last rites to the surprise of her family members.

She was admitted to Vijayawada government hospital on May 12 and her husband Gaddaiah met her at the hospital the next day. But on May 15 he was informed by hospital authorities Girijamma had succumbed to her illness.

As per family members, the hospital authorities told the husband to search for his wife's body in the mortuary. Also, Girijamma`s son Ramesh died of coronavirus on May 23.

"A prayer meeting for both Girijamma and Ramesh was conducted at Jaggaiahpet on Tuesday," Girijamma`s nephew Nagu told ANI. 

Girijamma said she was disappointed that nobody came to pick her up after she recovered from the infection. She had to travel to her town Jaggaiahpet on Wednesday by herself much to the shock of her relatives and neighbours.

Meanwhile, Gaddayya expressed anger at the hospital staff and said that action should be taken against the hospital. While Naguasked whose fault it was that Girijamma was declared dead.

(With input from agencies)