Shankar Sah and his son were forced to carry his wife’s body on a motorcycle to transport it to their village, after the hospital refused to provide a mortuary van.
Shankar Sah and his 32-year-old son carrying Susheela’s body on a motorcycle to transport it to their village home. Credit: ANI
Patna: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that a man in Bihar’s Purnia district had to carry the body of his deceased wife on a motor cycle as the authorities at the district hospital failed to provide him a mortuary van.
The NHRC has issued a notice to the chief secretary of the Bihar government, demanding a report on this matter within four weeks.
The medical staff told her husband, Shankar Sah, when he requested for a vehicle, to arrange one on his own to carry the body.
The man, a poor labourer, approached an ambulance driver who demanded Rs 2,500, which he could not afford.
Ultimately, the man had to carry his wife’s body on a motor cycle with his son’s help.
The NHRC has observed that this is not the first instance which has come to its notice. The Commission has earlier too taken cognisance in some of these cases.
The civil surgeon, on June 4, had reportedly stated that no mortuary van is available at the Sadar Hospital and everyone has to arrange it on his own.
The district magistrate has reportedly ordered a probe into the matter.