A heartbreaking scene unfolded in Bihar’s Nawada district late on Sunday night, where three men and a woman were seen pushing a stretcher for nearly two kilometres, carrying the body of an elderly woman after a government health centre allegedly refused them an ambulance.
The woman, mother of local resident Ajay Sao, had fallen critically ill and was rushed to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Akbarpur, where she passed away shortly after admission. What followed left the family stunned and distressed.
Ambulance request denied despite vehicles on site
According to the family, when Ajay requested an ambulance to take his mother home for her last rites, staff at the PHC allegedly told him that ambulances were “not provided for the dead”, even though multiple ambulances were parked on the premises.
His relatives pleaded with the staff, explaining that it was late at night and nearly impossible to arrange transport. “We were told they can’t give an ambulance as it’s not allowed,” a family member said.
Left with no alternative, Ajay took the stretcher offered by the hospital — but even that came with a condition.
Stretcher given only after family stays back as guarantors
Ajay’s wife and young son had to remain at the health centre as guarantors until the stretcher was returned. “I begged him to give the stretcher for humanity’s sake,” Ajay’s wife said. Only after this assurance did the staffer allow them to take it.
With no vehicle, Ajay and other relatives were forced to push the stretcher through deserted roads for nearly two kilometres, guiding the body home in the middle of the night.
Silence from health centre; family demands action
The health centre has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident. Meanwhile, the family has demanded strict administrative action against the staff members involved, calling the refusal both inhumane and negligent.
Incidents involving denial of basic emergency and post-mortem transport have previously sparked nationwide conversations about healthcare accessibility and dignity, particularly in rural regions.
(Related reading: Rural communities raise concerns over medical transport gaps)
The episode has also renewed scrutiny of protocols at government health facilities, where ambulance access is often limited despite clear public need.
(Reference: Ambulance – Wikipedia)
For Ajay and his family, however, the night will be remembered not for administrative debates, but for the painful journey home — one they should never have been forced to make.