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A labourer was forced to carry the body of his 15-year-old son over his shoulder after he was allegedly denied help by doctors at a government hospital in Etawah on Monday.
The incident brought back memories of Odisha’s Dana Majhi, who carried his dead wife on his back last year when he was allegedly denied a hearse by a hospital.
In a video which went viral on social and electronic media, 45-year-old Udayveer alleged that doctors at the Etawah government hospital did not treat his son Pushpendra and turned him away.
“My son just had a pain in his legs. The doctors spared only a few minutes to see my child and said take him away, there is no life in the boy,” a weeping Udayveer told reporters.
He alleged that the doctors did not offer the services of a hearse or an ambulance, which are meant to be provided free of charge.
“No one told me that I was entitled to an ambulance to take my son’s body back,” the grieving father said.
Chief Medical Officer of Etawah, Dr Rajeev Yadav, said, “The boy was brought dead to the hospital yesterday afternoon. I am told the doctors were busy with a bus accident case and so they could not ask him (Udayveer) if he needed transport. There will be action... No doubt it is a blot on the reputation of this hospital and the fault is ours.”
In August last year, the nation was shocked by the image of Odisha farmer Majhi walking with his wife’s body because there was no hearse available at the hospital. His young daughter, with tears streaming down her face, walked with him.