Rights activist Jayanta Kumar Das has urged President Pranab Mukherjee to intervene in the incidence of ‘denial’ of an ambulance to poor tribal Dana Majhi by the Kalahandi District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) authorities to carry the body of his wife Amanga Dei, who died of tuberculosis three days ago, and direct for strong action against all those responsible for the incidence.
“Dana Majhi carried his wife’s body and walked down to his village for 10 km as the DHH authorities at Bhawanipatna didn’t provide him a mortuary van or an ambulance. With this, inhumanity meted out to the tribal man. Those responsible should be punished,” said Das.
Stating that Dana was forced to wrap up his wife’s body and carried it on his shoulders, Das pointed out that the statements made by the district administration following a probe were more startling.
“The administration states that Dana didn’t inform hospital officials and took away his wife’s body even without knowing whether she was alive or dead. With this, the administration has given a clean chit to the DHH authorities. It seems that the administration and the DHH authorities have a nexus to protect each other,” alleged Das.
He urged the President to take the matter seriously and recommend strong action against the hospital authorities and district administration officials as their apathy led to violation of right to a citizen.