Khariar: A leprosy patient in Kusamal under Khariar block of Nuapada district was denied funeral support due to continuing social stigma attached to the disease, forcing a local doctor to step in and ensure a dignified cremation. Premashila Sagaria, 60, had been undergoing treatment for leprosy when she died Wednesday.
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Her husband, Buturam Sagaria, died 20 years ago, and she lived with her 23-year-old son, Aravind, who has a mental health condition. The mother and son had long faced social ostracism from the community. After Premashila’s death, no villagers came forward to help with the funeral rites. ASHA worker Hemakanti Majhi informed Annada Shankar Das, a physician at Khariar sub-divisional hospital, about the situation. The doctor visited the village and attempted to convince residents to assist, but most refused. With the help of two of the woman’s relatives and a local youth, Das carried the body on his shoulder and walked nearly 2km to the cremation ground, where they performed the last rites.