The 50-year-old homeless man, who started breathing on the autopsy table, minutes after he was mistakenly declared dead, passed away late on Tuesday. The patient’s passing away was confirmed by Sion Hospital Dean, Suleman Merchant.
The man had been admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of the hospital on Monday, where his condition was said to be stable. He had been brought in a delirious condition with electrolyte imbalance and was also malnourished, probably due to days of starvation, Merchant had said earlier. He was kept in the MICU, after the ENT doctors removed maggots from his ears.
Policemen from the Sion police station had rushed the man to Sion Hospital on Monday. The hospital claimed that the policemen assumed the man dead and insisted that the casualty medical officer to certify him dead and complete the formalities.
The CMO, without performing at echocardiogram, certified him dead just by checking his pulse, BP and respiration. Mortuary attendants, however, found the man breathing and rushed him back to the casualty section.