Family members of a HIV patient, who died at the Balangir District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) late on Friday night, discarded the body and fled from the hospital.
According to reports, a man from Balangir town had been admitted at the Medicine Ward of the DHH on November 1 for fever and diarrhoea. later, he was detected HIV positive and was undergoing treatment for the same. On Thursday night, he succumbed to the disease, following which his family members, including his wife, fled from the hospital, leaving the body on hospital bed.
“The man died around 3.30 pm on Thursday. As soon as he died, his wife, who was with him here, left the hospital,” said a nurse on duty.
“He was not staying with us since last 12 years. He had a love marriage with a woman of other caste and was residing at his in-laws house. But when he died, they left the hospital leaving his body unattended,” father of the deceased said.
Asked about the incident, wife of the deceased said, “He died around 3.30 pm yesterday. I was informed that my in-laws will take the body.” As nobody turned up till Saturday afternoon the hospital authorities shifted the body to the morgue.
On the other hand after getting the report from the Additional District Magistrate (ADMO), the Balangir Town police managed to persuade the family members of the victim to take the body for cremation.
later, the brother of the deceased took the body from the hospital and performed his last rites.