Jalpaiguri (West Bengal): In a heart-rending incident, the body of a woman was carried by her husband and son on their shoulders in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal as they could not afford an ambulance that charged Rs 3,000, which was three times the actual fare. A daily labourer Ramprasad Dewan, a resident of Kranti village in the Mal subdivision of Jalpaiguri, admitted his mother Lakshmirani Dewan to Jalpaiguri Super Specialty Hospital on Wednesday due to breathing problems and subsequently she died in the night while undergoing treatment. When the son went for an ambulance, he was asked to pay Rs 3,000. Unable to afford the money, Ramprasad resorted to pleading, but that didn't help either. He then, along with his father, had to carry her body on their shoulders.
Ankur Das, secretary of Green Jalpaiguri, a voluntary organisation, who witnessed the entire episode from a distance immediately called the organisation's ambulance to help them. "There was no government ambulance to take the body home. Even the private ambulance demanded huge money. Hence, the family of the deceased was forced to carry the body on their shoulders. We saw it and sent the body home in our ambulance," the secretary told ETV Bharat.
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Reacting to the incident, Jalpaiguri Private Ambulance Drivers Association Secretary Dilip Das refuted the allegations and termed them baseless. "The family of the deceased came to us in the morning. Had they told us they do not have the demanded money, we would have provided them with free service. We provide free services to many patients. There is a conspiracy to defame us. A voluntary organisation conspired against us," Das said.
Jajalpaiguri Government Medical College and Hospital Medical Superintendent cum Vice-Principal Dr Kalyan Khan termed the incident as inhumane. "The private ambulance demanded Rs 3,000 from the family. They could have got an ambulance in an official way. It will be investigated how this happened," Dr Khan said, adding that the matter has been informed to the district administration for further investigation.
