The family members of a lightning victim in Sundargarh, who had died on June 24, have been reportedly running from pillar to post to get the compensation due to want of post-mortem examination report.
Significantly, the death of the man then had drawn media attention, since a doctor of a community health center, instead of sending the body for post mortem, had released the body, after allegedly receiving Rs 1,500 towards arranging an ambulance.
The deceased was Suren Ekka, a resident of Bansidarah village in Ankelbira panchayat under Hemgiri police station. While he was working in a farm land along with his wife and brother - in - law on June 24, he had been struck by lightning at around 5 pm and had become critical. He was taken to the Kanika primary health center and later, to the Hemgiri Community Health Centre but he had died there.
A contractual doctor, identified as Harish Chandra Bag, who was on duty in Hemgiri CHC at that time instead of informing police , had demanded bribe Rs 1,500 from the family members of the deceased to provide ambulance to take the body to their home. Bag had not informed police at that time; as such, the post mortem of deceased Soren had not been done.later when the bribe issue was reported in media, Bag allegedly had returned Rs 1,500. Sundargarh CDMO SB Nayak had ordered an inquiry into the matter.
There has been a provision of compensation of Rs 4 lakh to a lightning victim in case of death. Soren’s wife Basanti had applied for the same in Hemgiri Tehesil office. According to sources , Hemgiri Tehsildar lalat Kumar luha had forwarded the papers to the Sub Collector, Sundargarh for forwarding the papers to the Collector, Sundargarh but the Sub Collector sent it back to the Hemgiri Tehsildar since post mortem report was not available. The CDMO Sundargarh admitted lapses by the hospital authority for releasing the body without a post-mortem examination report.
“The medical officer of the Hemgiri hospital has been instructed to submit a report on the basis of circumstantial evidence,” he added.