A heartbreaking scene unfolded in Faridabad on Wednesday when the family of a 35-year-old woman who died during tuberculosis treatment took her body home on the same motorised pushcart that supports their livelihood.
Anuradha died at Badshah Khan Civil Hospital after prolonged treatment for tuberculosis-related complications. With no money left and unable to afford a hearse or ambulance, the family transported her body nearly 10 kilometres to their home in Sarurpur village on a pushcart.
Child’s silent dignity amid grief
As the cart moved through busy roads, Anuradha’s seven-year-old son walked alongside, holding the sheet covering his mother’s body to prevent it from flying in the wind. His grandfather steered the cart, while his father and grandmother followed in grief.
Though many witnessed the poignant sight, the family made the long journey alone, underscoring the isolation faced by economically vulnerable families in moments of loss.
Savings exhausted during treatment
Anuradha’s husband said the family had spent all their savings on her treatment. She was initially admitted at Badshah Khan Civil Hospital and was later referred multiple times to Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS Delhi as her condition worsened.
“Nearly ₹4 lakh was spent, but she could not be saved. After her death, ambulance operators asked for ₹700 to take her body home. I had nothing left,” he said, adding that money for the cremation had to be borrowed.
Questions over institutional support
The incident has once again highlighted the lack of accessible hearse services and institutional support for poor families. Officials later stated that hearse vans are available through the Red Cross on request, and that the matter would be examined to determine whether negligence occurred.
Neighbours later pooled funds to help the family perform Anuradha’s last rites.