Malkangiri: The free hearse service to carry bodies to homes of the deceased under the state-sponsored Mahaprayan scheme has gone haywire in this district as a body had to be carried again on a bike due to unavailability of a van, a report said Saturday.
Earlier, an ambulance had dropped a body midway while a body had been carried on a bike in this district. The twin incidents are yet to fade from the memory when a similar incident has rocked the district again Saturday.
The incident occurred in Nuaguda village under Kudumulugumma block in Malkangiri district where a man fell down and sustained critical injuries while cutting a tree in the village.
The man was identified as Bhagaban Golari (40) of the village. Family members rang up a 108-ambulance but the vehicle did not turn up despite best efforts from the family.
With precious time running out, they rushed him on a motorcycle and admitted him to Kudumulugumma community health centre where the doctors pronounced him brought dead. The patient died on his way as the family members waited for the ambulance to arrive, they alleged
The bereaved family members tried to requisition a Mahaprayan vehicle but were frustrated as the hospital authorities allegedly did not listen to their requests. Left with little choice, they again brought back the body home carrying it on the motorcycle.
Medical officer Dr Rankadhar Behera said the patient died on way and the family members took the body home on a motorcycle.
When contacted, chief district medical officer (in-charge) Dr Ajay Kumar Baitharu said one of the two Mahaparyan vehicles allotted to the district could have been provided to carry the body to its place of residence if the health centre authorities had applied for the same. PNN