Boudh: In an unfortunate incident, a man was allegedly forced to carry the body of his father in an auto rickshaw due to unavailability of hearse services at the district headquarters hospital here on Sunday.
According to sources, one Chaitanya Dash of Bisipalli village under Harbhanga block, was admitted to the hospital yesterday after he faced difficulties in breathing. Later, he died at around 9 pm while undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Following the death, his son went to the ticket counter and found no ‘Mahaprayan’ driver was available at the hospital, sources added.
“When I contacted a driver of the government-sponsored scheme, he said he went home as there were some problems in the vehicle,” son of the deceased alleged.
Finding no other option, the son of the deceased shouldered the body for half a kilometer and then hired an auto rickshaw to reach his village.
When asked, Trilochan Pradhan, the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Boudh said that the Mahaprayan vehicle was on Covid duty.
“The ‘Mahaprayan’ vehicle was on Covid duty. The vehicle cannot be used without sanitising it. Moreover, the driver was tired and reluctant to drive late at night,” Pradhan said.
“I urged the son of the deceased to wait for half-an-hour so that I can arrange a vehicle for him. But, he carried the body on his own,” he added.