india

Updated: Jul 17, 2019 01:04 IST

A 70-year-old man’s relatives were forced to carry his body in a sling in Odisha’s Kalahandi district on Monday after the health centre where he was being treated could not arrange a hearse van.

Nigidi Majhi was admitted to the health centre at Kaniguma on Sunday after he complained of uneasiness.

Thuamul Rampur block vice-chairman Govind Pradhani said Majhi’s family sought a hearse van as Majhi died on Monday. As no hearse van was available, the centre sought one from the district hospital at Bhawanipatna, around 55 km away. “Despite waiting for a few hours, no hearse van arrived following which the family of Majhi had to carry the body on the sling to their village five km away,” said Pradhani, a neighbour of the family.

Dilip Das, a local activist, said a hearse van facility started in 2016, was not working at all and the latest incident showed a huge gap in the health care system.

Kalahandi’s chief district medical officer, Banalata Devi, said a probe has been ordered. “The hearse van should have been made available. The probe would make it clear why it was not done,” she said.