Pune: PMC opts for gas furnaces at different crematoria to ensure least human contact with body

He said there were select hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, so the bodies could only be taken to a specific crematorium closest to these hospitals.

There are nine electric furnaces at six crematoria and 14 gas furnaces at 15 crematoria. “The electric furnace requires more human intervention than the gas one. A conveyor belt carries the body into the gas furnace but in the electric one, the staff has to push the trolley inside and pull it outside, in addition to tying it with a bed made of bamboo sticks,” Kandul said.

He said, “We have opted to use the gas furnace at five crematoria and an electric furnace at one crematorium. This will also enable each crematorium to take safety measures for other furnaces in the same area.”

Kandul said the PMC had deputed engineers to ensure that all electric and gas furnace facilities were operational. He added that the civic administration will carry out repairs for all six reserved furnaces so that they were operational round the clock.

The six furnaces have been reserved at Vaikunth, Mundhwa, Katraj, Bopodi, Aundh and Kailas crematoria. Of these, the furnace at Kailas crematorium is electric while the others are gas-run.

Cremation for COVID-19 deaths at Naidu, Sassoon, Jehangir and Ruby hospitals will take place at Kailas crematorium. Bodies from Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital and Symbiosis Medical College will be cremated at Aundh, while those from Bopodi hospital will be cremated at Bopodi crematorium and those from Bharati hospital at Katraj.

Bodies from Inlaks Budhrani, Noble, Columbia Asia, Sahyadri-Hadapsar will be cremated at Mundhwa while those from Sahyadri-Karve Road, Surya and KEM hospital will be cremated at Vaikunth crematorium.

According to guidelines, all crematoria will have a facility for disinfecting the area and staff employed for the cremation.

Earlier, the PMC was finding it difficult to conduct cremations or burials of those who have died of COVID-19 due to lack of protective gear among civic staff entrusted to ensure the process takes place as per protocol.

Before the first death, the PMC had instructed staff of all crematoria and burial grounds to follow the Centre’s guidelines to dispose of bodies of COVID-19 patients. The civic body had even pasted the guidelines onto walls of each crematorium and burial ground. However, it had failed to depute specific persons or provide training and protective equipment for those transporting the body and handling it during the funeral. Now, the responsibility has been fixed and the situation eased by reserving only six crematoria for cremation.

The civic staff had earlier complained of lack of protective equipment and refused to handle the bodies of COVID-19 patients but their demands have been met now.

The ward medical officer has been given the responsibility to arrange for transport through the fire department or Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd to ferry the body from the hospital to the crematorium or burial ground, while the zonal medical officer has been entrusted to provide protective equipment to all staff involved in disposing of the body. The health inspector of the ward office, whose area the body has to be cremated or buried in, is responsible for monitoring the process as per the guidelines.

The PMC has also directed city hospitals to do a police panchanama of the body in cases when family members do not want to take part in the last rites.

During the funeral, rituals such as reading from religious scripts, sprinkling holy water and others, which do not require touching the body, are allowed. But other rituals and gestures such as bathing or embracing the body are not allowed. The staff and family members of the deceased have to clean their hands thoroughly after the cremation or burial. The ashes do not pose a risk and can be collected to perform further rites, as per the guidelines.

The civic body has warned that large gatherings at crematoriums or burial grounds should be avoided as there is a possibility that close family contacts may be asymptomatic vectors of the virus.