Jajpur: The local administration launched a probe into a youth carrying his mother’s body with the help of his neighbours at Bantara village under Rasulpur block in Jajpur district due to unavailability of a hearse at local Madhuban community health centre (CHC) Monday.
The CHC officer Deepak Kumar Dash was on a holiday that triggered outrage among locals. The probe was halted as Dash was present in the office, sources said. The probe team comprised Jajpur CDMO Phanindra Kumar Panigrahy, Rasulpur tehsildar Arun Kumar Behera and BDO Ashok Kumar Beuria. Actions will be taken after the probe report is submitted to the district collector, the officials said.
Maina Munda (45), wife of Durga Munda, was admitted to Madhuban CHC after she took ill. On checking her health, the medical officers referred her to the district headquarters hospital as her condition worsened.
Munda, a poor man, failed to shift his wife to DHH and continued the treatment at the CHC. However, she died while undergoing treatment after a few hours.
Later, an employee of the CHC called Munda’s son Kalia and his wife Shanti and asked them to take away the body threatening police action if they did not take the body soon. As they pleaded for an ambulance, he was told ambulance was not possible as their village was not too far,’ the couple alleged.
Later, Kalia approached his neighbours Gama Munda and Padan Munda who agreed to help him carry the body on their shoulders to the village. Locals came to their rescue and demanded an ambulance to carry the body. Waiting for a long time, Kalia with his neighbours carried the body to the village. Under pressure from locals, local medical officer Dash arranged an ambulance for the body.
Kalia walked to his village with the body on his shoulders. “I had been for lunch and was unaware of the incident,” said Dash, adding that the relatives had already taken the body by the time he arranged an ambulance. PNN
