Family forced to carry man's body for due to ambulance's unavailability

A heartbreaking scene from Telangana’s Bhadrachalam Government Hospital has triggered outrage after the family of a 42-year-old man allegedly had to carry his body on their shoulders because no hospital ambulance was available.

Kande Venkanna, a resident of Subhash Nagar in Bhadrachalam town, had been admitted to the Area Government Hospital after suffering from heatstroke and dehydration. He died while undergoing treatment on Sunday night.

According to the family, hospital authorities failed to provide an ambulance to transport the body home despite government rules mandating such facilities for deceased patients. Unable to afford a private vehicle immediately, grieving relatives carried Venkanna’s body on their shoulders from the ward, drawing anger from locals over the state of public healthcare services.

Dr Ramakrishna, Superintendent of the Bhadrachalam Government Area Hospital, said Venkanna had been rushed to the hospital after suffering from dehydration and later died during treatment.

“The family approached a private ambulance to take the body home. The hospital ambulance was under repair at a workshop, so they carried the body from the ward to the private ambulance stationed around 500 metres away,” he said.

The incident has since sparked criticism from residents, with questions being raised over why alternative arrangements were not made for the bereaved family when the hospital ambulance was unavailable.

Locals expressed anger over the situation, saying families dealing with grief should not be left struggling for basic services at government hospitals.

The visuals and accounts from the hospital quickly drew attention, with many questioning the preparedness of public hospitals during emergencies, especially amid rising heat-related illnesses across several states.

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