In Chaibasa, Jharkhand, a poor Tribal family was forced to carry the body of their four-month-old child in a plastic bag after the hospital failed to provide transport.
Dimba Chatomba, a resident of Baljori village under the Noamundi block, had brought his ailing infant son to Sadar Hospital in Chaibasa on Thursday. Despite treatment, the child’s condition worsened, and he died on Friday afternoon.
After the child’s death, the family requested the hospital authorities to arrange a vehicle to take the body back to their village. According to the family, they waited for several hours, but no transport was provided. They alleged that the hospital administration showed no concern and did not make any alternative arrangements.
Left with no option, the grieving family wrapped the child’s body in a plastic bag and boarded a bus to return home. Dimba reportedly had only ₹100 with him. Out of desperation, he bought a plastic bag for ₹20 from a nearby shop and placed his son’s body inside it.
“With the remaining money, Dimba paid the bus fare from Chaibasa to Noamundi and travelled with his son’s body in the bag,” said an attendant of another patient, who did not wish to be named. The attendant added that from Noamundi, Dimba would have to walk to his village, Bada Baljori.
Responding to the incident, Chaibasa Civil Surgeon Dr Bharti Minj said the hospital does not provide ambulances for transporting dead bodies. “There is a separate hearse service for that purpose, and we have only one such vehicle in the district. At that time, the hearse was in Manoharpur. We asked the family to wait for two more hours, but they did not agree and left with the body,” she said.
Dr Minj also explained that the child had been suffering from breathing problems. “The doctors had advised the father to take the child to a higher medical centre, but he did not agree. The child was admitted on Thursday evening and died at 1:15 pm on Friday,” she said, adding that since the child’s mother was not present, a feeding tube had been inserted during treatment.
Health Minister Irfan Ansari has assured that the matter will be looked into. “If something like this has truly happened to a tribal family, an inquiry will be conducted, and action will be taken against those found responsible,” he said.
