Govt hospital in Odisha denies transportation, family carries body on a sling

Kalahandi: Tribals here had to carry the body of their relative who died during treatment at an NGO-run hospital in Gunupur village in Kalahandi district of Odisha in a sling made of cloth after authorities denied to provide a hearse van.

Nigidi Majhi, who was admitted to the hospital on Monday, died after a brief bout of fever.

According to family of the deceased, they asked NGO officials for a van but medical officers told them that they do not run van on Mondays.

The family made a video of the entire episode on mobile phone.

"A private organisation had taken in that patient at 9 am but he died by 1:45 pm. They searched for a vehicle to carry the body back to their village but did not get one. In our hospital we have a hearse van for Junagarh, Kalampur and Thuamul Rampur," Dr Avinash, Medical officer at Thuamul Rampur government hospital, told ANI.

The family was denied the van despite the state government's Mahaprayana scheme that offers free service for transportation of dead bodies from hospitals.