Return body, family ordered mid-funeral

A CHATSWORTH family was dealt a double blow this week when they had to not only deal with the death of a loved one, but was ordered to return the body while the funeral was under way.

- TASCHICA PILLAY

Poonsamy (Dino) Naicker, 53, died at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban on Monday and his funeral service was held on Wednesday at the Woodhurst Mulitcultural Hall in Chatsworth.

His family, while in the midst of paying their final respects, were requested to send his body back to the hospital for a postmortem to be undertaken.

Naicker’s brother, Gringo said they were astounded by the request. He said the family were called to the hospital on Monday and were told that his brother needed to be on a ventilator.

“Not long after arriving at the hospital my brother was pronounced dead. We were informed he had passed away of natural causes.

“While the funeral was taking place we received a call from the hospital,” said Naicker.

He said the request to return the body for a postmortem after the funeral arrangements were made and in progress caused the family additional distress, trauma, and emotional pain.

“A day before the funeral, a nursing sister informed us that two doctors had signed off on the cause of death as natural, but a third doctor contested it, claiming it was unnatural. I asked what we needed to do and was told we need to ask the doctor why he believed it was unnatural.