Balangir: A distressing video of a 12-year-old girl’s body being carried on a motorcycle following her death at a government hospital in Kantabanji in this district has gone viral, prompting questions over support for families unable to arrange transportation.
The girl, Suryakanti Chhura of Khairpadar village, was admitted to the Kantabanji government hospital Sunday after suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea. She died while undergoing treatment Monday. After her death, family members took her body to their village on a motorcycle.
The video, showing the body being transported on the bike, was subsequently shared on social media and drew widespread attention. However, the family said they had not approached the hospital authorities seeking an ambulance or hearse.
They said they decided to take the body themselves without informing hospital officials. The incident has nevertheless sparked a debate over the availability of assistance to economically vulnerable families following death in hospitals.
Questions are being raised about whether a transport facility could have been offered to the family, particularly in circumstances where they may have been unable to make alternative arrangements.
The episode has once again highlighted the need for compassionate support and dignified transportation facilities for bereaved families at government hospitals.