A 90-year-old woman declared dead by doctors was found alive in a body bag by a horrified crematorium worker who was about to send her body away.
Frail Norma Silveira da Silva was still breathing when the shocked worker found her skin was still warm hours after she had been pronounced dead at the Sao Jose Regional Hospital, in Greater Florianopolis, in Brazil on Saturday, 25th November, at 11:40 pm.
He realised she was still breathing and she was taken back to a hospital bed.
Tragically, despite being rushed back to the ward Norma died a day later in the early hours of 27th November.
Grimly, Norma was issued with two death certificates from medics at the Sao Jose Regional Hospital.
The first one, dated 25th November, gives her cause of death as an infection.
Hospital officials told local media that they are investigating how she came to be sent to the morgue while she was still alive.
Brazil’s Medical Ethics Committee and the Death Commission are also investigating, according to local media reports.
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Norma’s friend, named as Jessica Martins Silvi Pereira, who had gone with her to the hospital, said Norma’s family plans to sue the hospital.
She said: “It’s a case of neglect that I would not wish on anyone.”
Jessica said the crematorium worker had immediately seen that Norma was alive, adding: “When he opened the bag she was breathing very weakly.
“And, as she was no longer conscious, she couldn’t ask for help, she tried to breathe and couldn’t.
“I mean, from 11:40 pm until 1:30 am she was inside the bag almost dying asphyxiated.”
She said Norma’s family have still not been told what her cause of death was.
Norma was finally cremated on 27th November.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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