Jabalpur– A tribal family from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, faced a distressing ordeal when a government hospital allegedly denied them a hearse to transport their baby’s body. The family, unable to afford alternative transportation, resorted to boarding a bus with the baby’s body in a bag, enduring a five-hour wait at the bus stop. The incident sparked outrage and raised questions about the hospital’s lack of support.
According to the family, Jamni Bai gave birth to a baby boy on June 13 in a government hospital. Due to the child’s weakness, they were referred to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College Hospital in Jabalpur. Tragically, the baby passed away during treatment on June 15. Despite the hospital’s alleged refusal to provide a mortuary vehicle, a representative from the state health department claimed that the infant was still alive when discharged.
Sunil Dhurve, the father, expressed his financial constraints and the necessity to carry the body in a bag while travelling by bus. The absence of mortuary vehicles at the hospital further exacerbated the situation. The joint director of the State Health Department, Dr Sanjay Mishra, confirmed that the baby boy had been admitted to the Jabalpur Hospital from a medical facility in the Dindori district.
The incident has sparked a debate about the accessibility and support provided by government hospitals, particularly in facilitating dignified transportation of deceased individuals. The family’s harrowing experience has raised concerns about the healthcare system’s responsiveness and the need for improved infrastructure to address such critical situations effectively.