Sambalpur: The family members of a patient who died at the VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla were allegedly not allowed to take the body out of the hospital for not paying Rs 1200.
The body was released after six hours following the intervention of SAMBAL, a social organistaion, and director Aswini Pujahari.
Nehru Kalet (55) of Dhanakuada village was admitted at VIMSAR following complaint of stomach pain June 6.
He breathed his last while undergoing treatment June 15. He had been transferred to the ICU June 8. As per the complaint, the doctors demanded Rs 1,230 towards government fees for the use of various equipment from the bereaved family.
The family members were asked to deposit the money to get the body out of the hospital.
The poor family members expressed their inability to pay the money. But the doctors didn’t allow to take the body, which was lying at the hospital from 9 am to 3 pm.
On being informed, the members of SAMBAL organistaion came to the family members’ rescue. They first met the doctors and requested to waive the fees and hand over the body to the family. But the doctors were hesitant.
The SAMBAL members then took up the matter with VIMSAR director Aswini Pujahari.
Following this, Pujahari discussed the matter with Dr Bimal Tudu, the doctor in charge of ICU. Later the members were asked to write an application, mentioning the problems and the body was released.
Later the family members also faced a problem in arranging a hearse to take the body to their village.
As they did not have money to hire a hearse, they had to perform the last rites at Rajghat, instead of their native place.
The body was later taken to Rajghat in the hearse vehicle of SAMBAL and the last rites were performed in the presence of Kalet’s three daughters.
PNN