Doctor carries out autopsy of teenage girl on tractor trolley in MP village

There seems to be no dignity even in death in rural Madhya Pradesh.

In bizarre case highlighting pathetic condition of healthcare in the state, the post mortem of a teenage girl who was electrocuted was allegedly carried out on a tractor-trolley in Panna district’s Simariya village on Sunday.

But police and doctors defended themselves by saying that the deceased girl’s injuries were inspected on the trolley and the post mortem was conducted inside the autopsy room at the primary health centre, more than 250 km from Sagar.

According to Simariya police, 15-year-old Raksha had gone to her father’s agriculture field to give him lunch around 10 am on Sunday. On her way back, her right leg touched a live electricity line lying on the ground in the field. She was electrocuted and died on the spot and her right leg was severed at the shin.

Her father, already reeling under shock, was in for some more distress when he and a few villagers took the body in a tractor-trolley to the Simariya Primary Health Centre for autopsy.

Villagers alleged that the autopsy room was in dismal condition and a doctor and his assisting staff conducted the post mortem on the trolley as locals watched. A plastic sheet was set up over the trolley as it was drizzling in the area.

Fifteen-year-old Raksha was electrocuted after her right leg came in contact with a live power cable across an agricultural field, (HT PHOTO)

“The post-mortem was carried out on the trolley,” said Triloki Thakur, one of the villagers who accompanied the victim’s father to the health centre.

The police and doctors defended themselves against the allegations. Dr Verendra Singh Chouhan , Simariya PHC in-charge told HT that he conducted deceased autopsy.

“We inspected deceased girl’s injury marks outside on the trolley as it was dark inside the autopsy room. After inspection the autopsy was conducted inside the room,” he said.

He failed to explain how the post mortem could have been carried out if it was dark inside the autopsy room.

Chief medical and health officer Panna (CMHO) Dr LK Tiwari told HT that he had inquired about the matter and came to know that inspection of wounds was conducted outside by doctor and staff as there was more light outside but autopsy was conducted inside autopsy room.

The police also stuck to a similar line.

Simariya police station officer GS Bajpayee told HT that doctors had inspected the girl’s body on the trolley but autopsy was done inside autopsy room.

“In this case electricity department lapses have come out as electric line was lying on the ground. A case has been lodged and investigation has started,” he said.