Three persons carry relative's dead body in a plastic bag after allegedly being denied an ambulance

Three people had to carry the mortal remains of their relative in a plastic bag, after they allegedly didn't get an ambulance from Katihar to Bhagalpur in Bihar on Wednesday.

Shintu Shah, a resident of Kursaila had died by drowning into the river Ganga fourteen days ago and the relatives brought the body for a post-mortem to Katihar hospital. The doctors had initially said that the post-mortem would be conducted at Katihar hospital. However, after keeping the decomposed body in the hospital for 24 hours, the doctors allegedly asked the relatives to take the body to Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Bhagalpur.

The family members alleged that due to unavailability of the ambulance, three of them were carrying away the dead body wrapped in a plastic bag.

A relative, Arjun Sahni said, "He died 14 days ago, after slipping from a boat. He was a poor guy who was married on the 8th of last month... We brought him for post-mortem here. The police and administration is also with us. But, it has been more than 24 hours. We were advised 8 hours back, that the post-mortem will be done in Katihar district. But, now they are telling us post-mortem will be done in Bhagalpur."

"The doctor is fooling us. There are many big doctors in Katihar to carry out post-mortem. Is this how the poor is treated? Is this how they treat the dead? We don't have money and we will carry it on our shoulders. What is Bihar government thinking about the poor?" Sahni asked the media.

The grandfather of the victim, Mahendra Shah said, "Where will the post-mortem be done? They are only asking us to take it here and there. He had died 14 days back and it has been 24 hours here now. They are asking us to go to Bhagalpur," he said.

On enquiring, he told ANI, that he had no money to take the dead body to Bhagalpur, so they will carry it on their shoulders.

Shyam Chandra Jha, Surgeon, "This is not a government medical college, so there are no arrangements for post-mortem here. We have referred the case to a government medical college."

The surgeon denied having any knowledge that the dead body was being carried on shoulders. He also denied the allegations that the hospital delayed it by 24 hour, "if they do not take the body away, it will obviously take time take time," Jha replied.

The grandfather of the deceased said that they had stated their economic condition to the doctors and that they didn't have money to take the body to Bhagalpur, even then they were denied an ambulance.

This is just one of the several cases of hospital negligence in the last few months from various parts of the country.