Odisha MLA arranges hearse to help man carry wife's body on 370-km journey

BJD MLA Bikram Kumar Panda has helped a family from southern Odisha by arranging a hearse to carry the body of a 30-year-old woman after her death in Ganjam district.Roji Santa was admitted to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur five days ago after being referred from a hospital in tribal-dominated Koraput district as her condition was critical after delivering a girl child.

BJD MLA Bikram Kumar Panda has helped a family from southern Odisha by arranging a hearse to carry the body of a 30-year-old woman after her death in Ganjam district.

Roji Santa was admitted to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur five days ago after being referred from a hospital in tribal-dominated Koraput district as her condition was critical after delivering a girl child. The resident of Bagderi village died during the treatment on Friday morning.

Her husband, Narula Santa, was anxious about how to carry the body, which was lying for several hours in the hospital, for such a long distance of around 370 km as they had no money to hire a hearse.

''We rushed to the medical college immediately after getting information about the lying dead body and met the deceased's husband,'' Panda said.

''We arranged a van of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation to carry the dead body to his village,'' the Berhampur MLA said.

Panda also offered monetary help to the man, who did not have money to feed the baby during such a long journey. The baby is in a good condition now.

The MLA had donated four hearses from his local area funds to assist people in carrying dead bodies to the cremation grounds.

During the COVID-induced lockdown, the legislator had extended helping hands to several families in Berhampur for the cremation of their family members who succumbed to the infection, when their relatives did not come for help.

''As a people's representative, it is my duty to help the needy,'' he added.