An Indian man who was falsely declared dead from COVID-19 recovered and went home — but his family had cremated someone else.
Shibdas Bandyopadhyay, 75, was admitted to a hospital in Barasat on Nov. 11 after testing positive for the virus, and two days later, his family was informed he had died, The New Indian Express reported Saturday.
Bandyopadhyay’s family saw what they thought was his body wrapped in plastic but couldn’t see his face clearly.
Bandyopadhyay’s son said they cremated the body, and then received a call saying his father was alive and that they should pick him up from the hospital.
“We are shocked and surprised,” the son said. “However, we brought him home. We do not know whom we have cremated.”
Bandyopadhyay returned home to his loved one in Birati a day after his family was supposed to perform his final rites, according to The New Indian Express.
The health department said the body of another elderly COVID patient, Mohinimohan Mukhopadhyay, was cremated instead of Bandyopadhyay.
Officials became aware of the mix-up after Mukhopadhyay’s family learned he recovered from the virus and had plans to pick him up from the hospital, according to the outlet.
West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh claimed that the bizarre incident happened because the state’s government conducted fewer COVID tests to keep the number of cases low.
