Karnataka
Karnataka: Body Of Deceased Carried On Bicycle For Burial Due To Lack Of Ambulance Services
|The family of the deceased said they tried to contact the authorities of the gram panchayat and the health department for assistance in carrying the body, but received no response for hours.
The body of a 71-year-old man, who is suspected to have died of coronavirus, was taken to the graveyard on a bicycle by the family as the ambulance didn't arrive even after hours of wait and neighbours refused to help.
The incident took place in Karnataka's Belagavi district on Sunday, when the deceased's son and nephew carried the body from Gandhinagar area of Kittur to a graveyard near Mugut Khan Hubballi village, about 2 Kms away.
The deceased identified as Sadeppa Salagar, a daily wager, was suffering from fever for two days. The village primary health care centre referred the family to take him to the dedicated COVID hospital in the district over suspicion of contracting COVID-19. But he died before reaching the hospital, reported The News Minute.
When the family tried to contact the authorities of the gram panchayat and the health department for assistance in carrying the body, they received no response.
The son alleged that the family pleaded for an ambulance to transport the dead body, but due to the lack of response, they were forced to arrange a bicycle and take the body to the crematorium.
A video of the incident has gone viral and received massive flak from users. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President DK Shivakumar condemned the state government and questioned the lack of the ambulance service despite raising the request.
Relatives of a 70-yr-old dead person in Kittur, Belagavi had to carry the body for cremation on a bicycle in heavy rains.
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) August 17, 2020
CM @BSYBJP, where is your govt? Why was an ambulance not provided?
This incompetent Govt lacks humanity & has been a total failure in handling the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/PQfUe2oFXg
Minister in charge of Belagavi district, Ramesh Jarkiholi expressed regret over the incident saying a person dying of the virus undoubtedly deserves a dignified burial. He assured of preventing such incidents from occurring further in the area and instructed the officials over the same.
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