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New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that in Bihar, a man had to take the body of his deceased wife on a motorcycle as the authorities at Purnia Sadar hospital, where she died, failed to provide him a mortuary van. The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary (CS), Government of Bihar, calling for a report in the matter within four weeks, according to an NHRC release.
The deceased Susheela Devi, 50, died due to illness at the Hospital on June 2, 2017. The medical staff told her husband to arrange for carrying body of his wife on his own, when he requested for a vehicle. The man, a poor labourer, reportedly approached the driver of an ambulance, who demanded Rs 2,500, which he could not afford. Ultimately, with the help of his son, the man had to carry the body on a motorcycle holding it as a pillion rider, said the NHRC release.
The Commission has observed that this is not the first instance which has come to its notice. At several places across the country, such shameful incidents have happened and the Commission has also taken cognizance in some of these cases. It seems that the authorities are lacking in understanding the sensitivity involved in such situations. This amounts to violation of right to life and dignity of the persons and is also indicative of negligence by the hospital administration and lack of proper infrastructure, the NHRC release said.
According to the media report carried on June 4, 2017, the Civil Surgeon of the hospital has 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.