Bihar: Man Carries Wife’s Body on Shoulder As Hospital Denies Van

This is not an isolated case where the poor discover that they are denied dignity even in death.

A Muzaffarpur resident had to carry his wife’s body wrapped in a piece of cloth on his shoulders (Photo: The Quint)

Suresh Mandal, a Muzaffarpur resident had to carry his wife's body wrapped in a piece of cloth on his shoulders on Wednesday after the government hospital (where the patient had died during treatment) refused to provide him an ambulance or mortuary van. Mandal's 30-year-old wife Shyama Devi, who had been admitted to the hospital since 18 February, died on Tuesday.

I approached the hospital authorities to provide an ambulance but nobody paid any heed to my repeated requests.

Suresh Mandal, Husband of Deceased Shyamla

Denied Dignity In Death?

Too poor to hire transportation, he then carried his wife’s body out of the hospital premises with his nephew’s help. He says the hospital employees watched mutely. Hospital authorities deny that any request for a hearse van was made.

Why Are We Shocked?

This is not the first incident of its kind. In Kalahandi district of Odisha in August last year, a tribal man named Dana Majhi had to carry his wife's body on his shoulders for the want of a hearse van or an ambulance. The shocking story made national headlines and later, monetary aid poured in for Majhi.

Similarly, two days after Dana Majhi's ordeal, a dead woman's body was broken at the hips so the two men carrying it in a cloth strung on a bamboo could ferry it with ease to the railway station.

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim