Palghar, Jan 21 (PTI) A resident of a tribal village in Maharashtra’s Palghar district had to carry his six-year-old son’s body home on a two-wheeler as he could not afford a hearse or ambulance.
The incident, confirmed by a government medical officer, took place on the eve of the Republic Day.
The man’s son was admitted to a hospital at Trimbakeshwar on January 24 as he had high fever. But the doctors there asked him to take the boy to a government hospital, so he was taken first to Mokhada government hospital and then to Jawhar rural hospital, local sources said.
On January 25, the child died during treatment. The man tried to arrange a hearse or ambulance from the hospital but allegedly could not get one as he had no money.
Finally, he tied the body to his motorbike and took it home in Payarwadi in Mokhada tehsil, some 40 km away, late at night, sources said.
When contacted, District Health Officer Dr Dayanand Suryawanshi said an ambulance is generally not used to carry dead bodies.
Moreover, in this case the drivers were reportedly not ready to ferry the dead child as they had an unpleasant experience of villagers beating up ambulance drivers for some reason in the past, he said.
The drivers allegedly asked for money which the family did not have, the DHO said, adding that officials were looking into the incident. PTI COR KRK KRK
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