Chennai's Stanley Medical College Hospital, which is one of the state-owned medical centers active in the city on treating the COVID-19 patients, has caught up with controversy over a photo that went viral across social media which had stirred deep anger among people on the way it had treated the patients.

In the photo that went viral on Tuesday, the body of the deceased COVID-19 victim can be seen lying next to the patient. The body was completely wrapped up in the black bag and it was kept near to the patient for several hours. According to the reports, the hospital management had ordered an internal probe on the matter after the photo was shared and criticized by many on the internet.

The team led by the head of the General Surgery department of the hospital carried out the investigation on Tuesday and disclosed its report and findings to the hospital dean in one hour. According to the probing team, the patient died at 8 am on Monday following which the body was wrapped, kept on the bed and it was covered with the screen.

The team claimed that the body was packed as per the protocols and kept on the bed for clearance from the Resident Medical Officer for shifting the deceased to the mortuary. However, it was alleged that the body was kept in the ward nearly for eight hours among several other patients. The medical team has denied the allegations and claimed that the body was kept on bed for two hours following which the formalities were done and shifted to the mortuary.

By citing that the allegations are false, the probing team said that the body was covered with the screen and the photograph must be taken between the time when the screens were removed and the body was taken for the mortuary. The probing team report stated that the body was moved to the mortuary at 10 am on Monday and was buried with the accord to the government's guidelines at 5.30 pm on Monday.

It further claimed that the Chennai corporation was informed about the burial to adhere to the guidelines of the safe disposal of the body of COVID-19 victim and the relatives of the deceased were informed about the death. According to the reports, the deceased was a 65-year-old patient and he was admitted on June 13 after he tested positive for the pandemic and he succumbed to the viral infection on Monday.