VISHAKHAPATNAM: An Adivasi couple Matysaraju and Malleswari had to carry their days’ old dead child on a moped all the way from King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam to their village Kumuda 120 km away in Munchingput mandal of ASR district on Thursday.
According to reports, soon after developing pains, Malleswari had been admitted into Paderu district hospital on February 2. She delivered a male baby the same evening. Doctors found the baby struggling with breathing and suggested that the couple shift the baby to King George Hospital (KGH).
However, despite being treated for two weeks, the baby died on Thursday at about 8 a.m.
Matysaraju approached officials and requested for an ambulance to carry the baby to their native place. Officials allegedly replied that rules would not permit them to allot an ambulance for dead babies below five years. Thus, the couple immediately took away their dead baby on their moped.
“There is no such rule on issue of ambulances. When staff informed me about the request, I told them to provide an ambulance immediately. But by the time we arranged the vehicle, the couple had taken their baby away, threatening to make it an issue,’’ said KGH superintendent Dr. P. Ashok Kumar. He maintained that the couple did not give him even15 minutes to arrange the ambulance.
Sources said an ambulance had been arranged at Paderu to take the baby’s body to their native village. But the parents could not be contacted.
