“Dead Man” in Shanghai Found to be Alive by Mortuary Staff

Deserted streets in Shanghai

An investigation has been launched in Shanghai after a nursing home mistakenly declared a resident dead and sent him to the mortuary in a body bag.

The elderly man was taken from the nursing home to a waiting van before mortuary workers noticed he was still alive, in an incident caught on camera and shared widely on social media.

The footage shows workers attending to a body bag on a trolley in the back of a mortuary van, before realizing the person inside the bag is not dead. According translations provided by commenters, one of the workers tells the others the patient is still alive, and tells them not to cover him back up.

One worker has a brief conversation with other workers outside the building, before the patient is then wheeled back inside.

The incident has sparked a furious backlash in Shanghai, with tensions already running high due to strict lockdown measures in place for over a month. Concerns have also been raised about the strain on the city’s medical resources, with some speculating that the workers must have been exhausted to make such a mistake.

The Putuo district government confirmed it was aware of events at the nursing home and said that investigations had begun. The Shanghai Supervisory Commission and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said five officials, were under investigation whilst a local party official had been reprimanded.

Shanghai Xinchangzheng Nursing Home has apologized for the mistake, whilst the funeral home reportedly rewarded the vigilant employees with 5,000 yuan each.

State media said the patient was now receiving treatment in hospital, releasing no further information on his condition.