A man was forced to carry his mother's body on a motorcycle for 80 kms from Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol Medical College, following the hospital's refusal to provide a hearse van, on Sunday, 31 July.
This marks the second such incident in the state after a man had to carry his four-year-old daughter's body on his shoulders in June.
Meanwhile, the deceased's two sons, who couldn't afford private vehicles, reportedly bought a wooden slab for Rs 100, tied the body to it and rode it to their village Gudaru, in Anuppur district. They have also alleged that she died due to lack of proper treatment.
Jaimantri Yadav, a resident of Godaru village of Anuppur, was admitted to the district hospital after she complained of chest pain. Due to her deteriorating condition, she was taken to the Shahdol Medical College, where she died late in the night.
'Family Did Not Ask for Van': Doctor
Dean of Shahdol Medical College Doctor Milind Siralkar, while denying the allegations, said that the family did not ask for the hearse van and instead informed the hospital staff that they had made their own arrangements.
"I got the information through media...the ward boy told me that he was told by the family members that they had their arrangements to take back the corpse. They didn't inquire about the ambulance or hearse van at the hospital," he added.
What Had Happened in the Previous Case?
The four-year-old girl's father, identified as Lakshman Ahirwar, said that he had taken his daughter Radha to the Buxwaha health centre as she was ill.
However, she was later shifted to Damoh district hospital because of a deterioration in her condition, where she died.
The girl's grandfather, Mansukh Ahirwar, said that the family had also asked for a hearse at the Damoh hospital, but were not provided with one by the authorities.
After reaching Buxwaha, the family also tried to arrange a van at the Nagar Panchayat, but were denied. Hence, they had no option but to carry the girl's body and walk back to Paudi village, where they live.
Officials, however, had denied the claim.
"Nobody came to me. We do have a hearse van. We can also arrange it from Red Cross or any other Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)," Mamta Timori, a civil surgeon at the Damoh district hospital, said.
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