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Denied ambulance, man carries brother’s body on back, transgenders help him

Hindustan Times, Dehradun | By
May 04, 2018 09:07 PM IST

Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat directs health secretary to probe the incident that took place at Government Doon Medical College and submit report

A group of transgender people pooled money to help a man from Uttar Pradesh secure an ambulance to take home the body of his brother after a government hospital in Dehradun allegedly denied him the vehicle for want of money.

Pankaj carries the body of his brother on his back.(HT Photo)
Pankaj carries the body of his brother on his back.(HT Photo)

Before transgenders stepped in, the man was seen carrying the body of his brother on his back on the Government Doon Medical College Hospital premises. Photos clicked by passersby were circulated on social media. Taking cognizance of the photos, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Friday directed the secretary (health) to submit a detailed report on the incident.

“Those responsible will not be spared. Such incidents (denying ambulance to the needy) should not be repeated at any cost,” the chief minister said.

As per the reports, one fruit vendor, Pankaj, reached Dehradun Thursday from neighbouring Dhampur in Uttar Pradesh to get his younger brother Sonu admitted to Doon hospital for treatment. The condition of the patient, suffering from TB, was in serious and the doctors in Dhampur had referred him to Doon Medical College, said a nurse who attended to the patient but wishes to remain anonymous.

After hospital authorities allegedly denied him ambulance, Pankaj decided to carry the body of his brother Sonu on his back. (HT Photo)
After hospital authorities allegedly denied him ambulance, Pankaj decided to carry the body of his brother Sonu on his back. (HT Photo)

Dr Rameshwar Pande, who was treating the patient, asked Pankaj to get certain tests done. The fruit vendor, however, had only Rs 500 on his person and thus couldn’t go for tests. Even as he was contemplating whether to take his brother back to Dhampur, Sonu died. Pankaj asked the hospital authorities to arrange an ambulance to take his brother’s body home, but was denied. He also couldn’t book any private ambulance due to lack of money.

After waiting for some time, Pankaj decided to carry the body on his back. It was while carrying the body that some passersby clicked his photos and circulated them on social media.

The hospital authorities sought to wash their hand of the incident. “I have no information about the incident. Let higher authorities find out (what happened),” Dr KK Tamta, chief medical superintendent of the hospital told Hindustan Times when reached for comments.

As per an eyewitness Raju Pusola, “As Pankaj was moving around the hospital with his brother’s body on his back, some transgenders who were passing by came forward and pooled money to arrange an ambulance.”

The social media remained abuzz with the news of a person carrying the body on shoulders. One Vijendra Rawat commented on Facebook, “If this is the state of affairs (of health facilities) in Dehradun, then one can well understand how difficult it would be to arrange an ambulance in remote hills.”

A large number of patients from the neighbouring districts of UP visit Dehradun looking for better health care facilities.

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