In a heartbreaking re-run of the Dana Majhi incident in Kalahandi, a man in Odisha was forced to walk miles carrying his seven-year-old daughter’s body on Friday after the ambulance transporting them to another hospital allegedly left them midway.
The ambulance driver had allegedly asked the girl’s parents to get off after he found out that the girl had died on the way to Malkangiri district hospital.
Barsha Khemudu of Ghusapalli in Malkangiri died while being taken by her parents in the ambulance from Mithali hospital from where she was referred to Malkangiri district hospital following a deterioration in her health condition.
The driver asked us to get down from the ambulance as soon as he found out about the girl’s death on the way.Dinabandhu Khemudu, Deceased’s Father
The matter came to light when locals saw Khemudu and his wife carrying the body of their daughter.
The villagers then contacted the local BDO and medical authorities and arranged another vehicle to carry the body to their village.
An FIR has been filed against the driver, a pharmacist and an attendant who were in the ambulance in the Malkhangiri police station and immediate financial assistance has been provided to the girl’s parents.
It was totally illegal and criminal negligence on the part of the driver. Stringent action will be taken against persons responsible for the incident.K Sudarshan Chakravarthy, District Collector
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