A distressing incident unfolded at the SSG Hospital mortuary in Vadodara when a body, kept pending the arrival of relatives from the United States, decomposed severely within approximately 36 hours, sparking a violent confrontation on Wednesday.
Details of the Incident
Ranjan Vyas, 78, passed away at a private hospital on Monday evening. As her family members were traveling from the US, they requested a delay in the cremation. Following standard procedures, the body was transferred to the SSG Hospital mortuary at around 6:45 pm on Monday, nearly two hours after her death was recorded at 4:50 pm. It was placed in a cold storage cabinet designed to maintain temperatures between 2°C and 8°C.
However, due to extreme ambient temperatures of 44–45°C, the cooling unit allegedly experienced a technical malfunction, affecting temperature regulation. Though the body was later moved to another cabinet, decomposition had already begun.
Family Outrage and Assault
When relatives arrived on Wednesday morning, they discovered the body swollen and decomposed, leading to outrage. Alleging negligence, a group of family members and supporters confronted hospital staff. The situation escalated into violence, with a doctor, two resident doctors, and a servant from the forensic medicine department allegedly assaulted. The shirt of a doctor was torn during the attack.
Police from Raopura police station arrived at the hospital and brought the situation under control. Hospital authorities have lodged a complaint against the attackers.
Hospital Response
SSG Hospital medical superintendent Dr. Ranjan Aiyer attributed the incident to a technical fault rather than human error. He stated, "We manage mortuary services as a social responsibility, and the cabinets have been installed with donor support. The unit where the body was kept developed a technical glitch, and the required temperature could not be maintained. As soon as we detected the issue, the body was shifted." He added that the extreme heat may have contributed to overheating.
Dr. Aiyer further noted that a mob of nearly 50 people attacked doctors, including a female resident. "This is a serious violation of the law. We have lodged a police complaint," he said.
