Family forced to carry man's body on bike in Andhra; minister orders probe
The visuals of the body being carried on the bike circulated widely on social media, drawing public attention and raising concerns about the availability of medical transport facilities at government hospitals
Footage of a man’s body being transported on a motorcycle in Andhra Pradesh has sparked widespread angst, prompting the state government to order an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the incident.
The deceased, Nakka Nageswara Rao of Chintapalem village in Karlapalem mandal of Bapatla district, suffered a heart attack at his residence. Family members rushed him to Bapatla Area Hospital on a motorcycle, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Body on bike
After he was declared dead, the family had to shift the body back to their village, around 13 kilometres away. With no ambulance or hearse vehicle immediately available, and citing financial constraints, they transported the body on the same motorcycle.
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The visuals of the body being carried on the bike circulated widely on social media, drawing public attention and raising concerns about the availability of medical transport facilities at government hospitals.
Inquiry ordered
District in-charge minister Kolusu Parthasarathy took note of the incident and ordered an enquiry. He spoke to District Collector Dr. V Vinod Kumar and hospital authorities to seek details.
According to the Collector, the family left the hospital premises with the body without informing the staff. The minister directed officials to ensure that such incidents do not recur and that poor families are not inconvenienced.
Facility concerns
The hospital superintendent stated that Bapatla Area Hospital does not have a ‘Mahaprasthanam’ hearse facility. However, private vehicles can be arranged at government expense for economically weaker families under existing provisions.
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Officials said that in this case, the family had informed staff that they would arrange their own vehicle and left while hospital personnel were attending to another emergency.
The incident has brought into focus the non-availability of ambulance and mortuary transport services in public hospitals, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas.
Authorities said steps would be taken to review procedures and strengthen coordination to prevent a recurrence.
(This article was originally published in The Federal Andhra Pradesh)