Telangana launches free hearse service from govt hospitals

The Telangana government has launched 'free hearse service' intended to help poor who lack money for transporting the bodies of their relatives, who die in government hospitals back to their homes.

State Health Minister C. Laxma Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mahemood Ali and Cinematography Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav launched the service at the Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.

In the 'Free Hearse Service', the state government has provided 50 vehicles, which would be available 24*7.

Reddy said, "Today, we have launched a new programme and this is the first in India."

Ali said, "These vehicles have been allotted for Telangana for people who die in government hospitals and creates a problem for relatives of the deceased to take back home.

"These vehicles are equipped with latest technology; they have facility of carrying two bodies in a go. They also have facility of air conditioning, so that the body is not damaged. Gandhi Hospital has been given 10 vehicles, Osmania Hospital has been also been given 10 vehicles.Apart from that 11 vehicles would be kept in reserve so that anywhere in the city, when anybody would need their vehicle, they would be available for service," he added.

The service is intended to help poor, who lack money to transport bodies of their dear ones to their homes from a major state-run hospital, was prepared long ago and it is being implemented now, it stated.