He Was Denied An Ambulance And So This Odisha Man Had To Carry His Wife’s Dead Body For 10 Km

In a harrowing case of the poor not being served by the Government, a tribal man from Odisha had to carry his dead wife on his shoulders and walk 10 km on foot with his weeping daughter by his side, because he was denied an ambulance from the hospital to his village, which is 60 km away.

Dana Manjhi’s 42-year-old wife passed away due to Tuberculosis at a government hospital in Kalahandi, but he was denied any sort of vehicular transport for the dead body.

“I told the hospital authorities that I am a poor man and cannot afford a vehicle. I kept requesting them but they said they could not help.”

Manjhi wrapped the body in a cloth and set out on foot to his village, the body hoisted on his shoulder, with his daughter. According to the ‘Mahaparayana’ scheme launched by the state government, 37 government hospitals were provided with vehicles to transport the dead bodies of relatives of people who could not afford them themselves. None were available for Manjhi’s wife.

Manjhi was later given transportation for the remainder of his journey when a TV crew contacted senior government officials and made arrangements for an ambulance. Watch Manjhi’s heartbreaking ordeal below.

Man, along with daughter walked 10kms carrying wife's body in Odisha after he was denied an ambulance
Video via OTV pic.twitter.com/lppPAMR2S3

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The Kalahandi District Collector Brunda D. later verified this incident and also instructed his workers to help Manjhi with the funeral services.

This apathy in Odisha is on the rise and the state desperately needs better health services.

News source: NDTV
Cover image source