In a remote Indian village, a 76-year-old woman stunned her family by regaining consciousness moments before her cremation. Infected with SARS-CoV-2, she had collapsed amid India's overwhelmed healthcare system—a stark reminder of the crisis.
Shakuntala Gaikwad, a 76-year-old resident of Mudhale village, about 50 km from Pune, India, tested positive for COVID-19. Despite no serious symptoms initially, doctors advised home isolation, as reported by India Today.
Her condition worsened rapidly, prompting her family to rush her to a hospital. But with facilities across the country at capacity, unable to admit more patients, she waited in the transport vehicle.
There, she lost consciousness and stopped moving entirely. Believing her gone, her relatives returned to the village to prepare for cremation rituals.
The family completed funeral preparations and placed her body on a stretcher for the final journey. To their horror and relief, Shakuntala suddenly woke up crying and opened her eyes.
In shock, she was rushed back to the hospital for "additional treatment," per medical staff. No further updates on her condition or the cause of her apparent revival have emerged.
This harrowing incident underscores India's dire COVID-19 surge, with over 26 million cases and more than 291,000 deaths. Hospitals lack beds, oxygen, and drugs, while crematoriums handle mass open-air funerals, images of which have shocked the world.
