Odisha man forced to carry wife’s body in his arms; 2 suspended

Kanhar sought help to carry his wife’s body, but hospital authorities allegedly ignored his request. He dragged his wife’s body on an iron stretcher to the hearse van as no one came to his help

A video showing a tribal farmer from Odisha’s Kandhamal carrying the corpse of his wife in his arms has gone viral and provoked outrage. Rutumati, 40, the wife of the farmer Balakrushna Kanhar who was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday, died of cardiac arrest a day later.

A screen grab of Kanhar picking up his wife’s body from the hospital bed. (Sourced)

Kanhar sought help to carry his wife’s body, but hospital authorities allegedly ignored his request. “As no medical staffer came to help him, Balakrushna carried the corpse from the second floor of the hospital on his own to a vehicle waiting outside,” said Basant Kumar Padhi, a local Congress leader.

Kanhar dragged his wife’s body on an iron stretcher to the hearse van as no one came to his help.

After the video went viral, chief district medical officer Rajashri Patnaik sought an explanation from the staff nurse and the help desk attendant at the hospital.

The two were later suspended while another employee was dismissed.

Arup Jena, President of Kandhamal Citizen Forum, said, “The medical staff apparently listened to music on their mobile phones while Kanhar asked for help. No one even came forward to hold his two-year-old daughter when he and his father put the body in the hearse van. The child was lying on the ground. I am simply appalled at the lack of empathy.”

In August 2016, tribal farmer Dana Majhi was forced to carry the corpse of his wife on his back for 10 km from the district headquarters hospital in Bhawanipatna town of Kalahandi district as no hospital staff came to help him. Following an outrage, the state government started a free hearse van scheme the same month.