Death and rebirth on same bed - Funeral-set relatives find patient alive and sitting, finger at hospital

TT, May 24: Jayanarayan Pandey today became the first human in recent memory to leave a hospital wearing a rajanigandha garland and on his feet.

The tuberose adornment in health-care environs usually heralds a departure with the feet up - destined for the funeral ground.

Jayanarayan, a 55-year-old labourer, walked out sporting the white garland because someone at the Howrah District Hospital appears to have messed up.

Jayanarayan's relatives had reached the hospital this noon with a hearse after being informed of his "death", only to find him sitting on Bed 72 of the male medical ward. Since they had brought along the garland to deck up the body on the last journey, he chose to wear it while leaving after his accidental rebirth.

His nephew Baidyanath alleged that his uncle's death certificate had been prepared and one of the nurses was about to hand it over to them when the error was realised and the document torn up. "A discharge certificate was prepared instead," said Baidyanath, also a labourer.

A bachelor, Jayanarayan lives with Baidyanath near the hospital and was admitted on May 16 after an asthma complaint. Baidyanath said he was informed of the death at 8.40am today by Bantra police station that conveyed the hospital's message.

Hospital superintendent Narayan Chattopadhyay declined to comment. Sources in the hospital said the cause of the confusion was the death of another patient, Sudarshan Das, who had been receiving treatment on the floor near Jayanarayan's bed.

"Jayanarayan had recovered enough to take strolls. Early this morning, he was out taking a walk and his bed was empty. Das had died and his relatives kept the body on Jayanarayan's empty bed. A hospital official proceeded with the post-death paperwork and other formalities on the assumption that the actual occupant of the bed had died. That led to the confusion," said a hospital official.

Baidyanath asked: "How can a hospital be so careless? They should realise how much grief it causes."

A neighbour has lodged a police complaint accusing the hospital of causing mental agony.