A patient was declared dead by nurses and sent to the morgue but it was found after that he was alive in the morgue. The patient was trying to get out of his body bag in the morgue. Kevin Reid, 55, died hours after he was sent to the morgue at Rockingham General Hospital in Western Australia.
The palliative care patient was pronounced dead by nurses but a doctor stated that Reid was alive in the morgue. His eyes were open, there was blood on his gown and his body position had moved, according to the medics who examined him a day after in the morgue.
Nurses Declared Him Dead
Last rites were given and his body was prepared before it was transferred to the morgue a few hours later. No doctor was called to certify the death, which is standard procedure, so the medic was asked to issue one and went to see the body, according to The Sun.
He has now alleged to a coroner that hospital staff tried to get him to cover up the macabre mistake by backdating the death certificate but he refused, according to the report.
Reid's Eyes Were Open
When the doctor came across Reid, he saw the patient's eyes were open. A cut was also visible on his arm, where fresh blood was also seen while another arm was over his right shoulder, according to the doctor.
The doctor believes that the frank blood from a new skin tear, arm position, and eye signs was inconsistent with a person who was post-mortem on arrival at the morgue.
Reid Tried To Come Out of Body Bag In Morgue
The doctor has now left the hospital. The matter came to light when the funeral director had doubts over the date of the death certificate.
On the death certificate, the date was mentioned as September 6 while the patient's family was present with the director when they were told he passed away on September 5.
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