Unable to afford ambulance, Jabalpur man travels in bus with newborn's body in bag

The child's father approached the Jabalpur Medical College and Hospital authorities for arranging either an ambulance or a hearse van to carry the body to their village in Dindori. But, the authorities allegedly did not provide any help.

Jabalpur:Revealing the grim state of health infrastructure, a poor man from Dindori in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur travelled in a bus carrying his newborn's body in a bag as he could not pay for an ambulance in the Jabalpur Medical College and Hospital.

The man's wife, Jamani Bai, a resident of a village in Dindori was admitted to Dindori district hospital following labour pain. After delivery, the child's condition started deteriorating and he was referred to Jabalpur Medical College and Hospital. But, the child died during treatment at the hospital.

The child's father approached the hospital authorities to arrange an ambulance or a hearse van to carry the body home in Dindori. But the hospital authorities allegedly did not provide any help to the man. As he could not afford to hire a private ambulance or hearse van, the couple decided to take the body to their village themselves.

They took an autorickshaw and reached Jabalpur bus stand. Then, they hid the body in a bag and boarded a bus. After travelling 150 km in the bus, the family reached Dindori bus stand late at night. At the bus stand, the family kept waiting for their relatives but nobody came forward to help them.

When reporters asked the child's relative, Surajtia Bai, why they kept the child's body the bag, they said that they had no other option to reach their village.

A month back, a similar incident was witnessed in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district wherein the newborn's father travelled 200 km in bus with the child's body. After the incident came to light, chief minister Mamata Banerjee sought a report from the deputy chief medical officer.