Watch video | Jharkhand hospital wraps dead tribal youth with govt adv poster

After gut-wrenching visuals of Dana Manjhi carrying his wife on shoulder for around 10-kilometers had raised anger and indignation across India in 2016.  Then the country stood together to raise voice to treat the dead with dignity and respect.

Hardly 16 months have passed, now a  video from Jharkhand’s Dumka district is making rounds on the social media, where one can see a road accident victim belonging from a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) or Primitive Tribal Groups (PTG) wrapped in a health department promotional poster which states, ‘Nayi Laher, Nayi Vishwas’ instead of a shroud.

According to police, Basant Dehri, a Pahariya youth, had sustained multiple injuries in a road accident. He was rushed to Sadar Hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries.

According to reports, The hospital staff wrapped Dehri’s body in a government banner of National Health Mission instead of a proper shroud and sent it for post mortem on a trolley stretcher.

The deceased’s brother claimed, “I don’t know why they did not provide me with a shroud.”

According to another family member, they were not provided with a shroud as they failed to pay Rs 300 to a hospital staff.

Dumka district hospital deputy superintendent Dilip Kesri told the media that he learnt about the incident after media persons reported him about the development.

“We will probe the matter and departmental actions will be taken against the culprits,” said Kesri.

Also read| DWC arrests doctor for mentally, physically torturing tribal household helper from Jharkhand

The deputy superintendent also asserted that they ensure that proper transportation service is provided for carrying of dead back home. “Shrouds are provided by the administration and not hospital,” he added.

However, the Jharkhand Government in its official statement claimed that the hospital had provided proper transportation and shroud to the road victim and the poster on the deceased’s body was placed by the family members, not government officials.