Odisha: Denied a mortuary van, man carries wife’s body on shoulders

A man in Odisha’s Bhawanipatna had to carry the body of his wife on his shoulders as the hospital authorities did not provide a mortuary van or an ambulance.

A tribal man in Odisha’s Kalahandi district carried the body of his wife on his shoulders as the hospital authorities did not provide a mortuary van or an ambulance.

Dana Manjhi carried his wife’s body on shoulders as he was denied a mortuary van or ambulance by hospital authorities.(Photo credit: OTV Video Grab)

The incident occurred at the district headquarters hospital at Bhawanipatna where 42-year-old Amang Dei was being treated for tuberculosis and died, Odisha TV reported.

Despite all his efforts, Dei’s husband Dana Manjhi could not get any help from the hospital authorities. Thus, he wrapped his wife’s body in a cloth and started walking to his village Melghara in Rampur block, about 60 km from Bhawanipatna.

Manjhi, who was accompanied by his 12-year-old daughter, was spotted by some local reporters who called up the district collector and arranged for an ambulance for the remaining journey.

“The hospital authorities said that there are no vehicles. I pleaded with them saying I am a poor person and cannot afford a vehicle to carry my wife’s body. Despite repeated requests, they said they cannot offer me any help,” Dana Majhi told Odisha TV.

On being asked about the incident, the district collector expressed grief over the incident and said that the family will be provided an assistance under the Harishchandra Yojana and the Red Cross fund.

(With inputs from OTV)