: A distressing incident has happened exposing the poor healthcare facilities in the own district of Health Minister Niranjan Pujari. A man had to carry a woman’s body in a bicycle to her village
in absence of hearse services from the Binka hospital under Subarnapur district.
According to sources, Rukmini Sahu, a helpless old woman of Meghala village in the district, fell ill on Friday due to extreme heatwave. The elderly woman was admitted at the Binika Community Health Center (CHC) by Shantanu Guru of her village but she died during the night itself during treatment. Shantanu asked the medical staff to provide a Mahaprayana vehicle (hearse carrier) to shift the body to the village, but they could not. Finally, with the help of other companions, Shantanu tied the body to a bicycle and dragged it to the village. Shantanu said that there was no other alternative for him.
When contacted, Dr Santosh Vibhar of Binika Community Health Center (CHC) said the patient died during treatment. “We asked the person accompanying the patient to take the body. However, the man expressed his inability and sought the help of the hospital. We said that we do not have any provision to send the body of a patient.”