Jharkhand Tragedy: Father Forced to Carry 4-Year-Old Son’s Body in a Bag as Ambulance Fails to Arrive

Chaibasa, West Singhbhum: A heart-wrenching incident from Chaibasa has exposed serious gaps in the state’s healthcare system. On Friday, a father, unable to secure an ambulance, was forced to carry the body of his four-year-old son in a bag and return home by bus. Witnesses were left shocked and tearful at the helplessness of the grieving parent.

According to family members, Dimba Chatomba, a resident of Baljodi village in Novamundi, had rushed his ailing son to Chaibasa Sadar Hospital—a 70-kilometer journey—after the child’s condition worsened. Tragically, the boy passed away around 4 PM during treatment. Desperate to take his son back to the village, the father repeatedly requested an ambulance, but no assistance arrived despite hours of pleading.

Local residents revealed that Dimba’s financial condition was extremely poor, making it impossible for him to afford a private ambulance. Left with no alternative, he placed his son’s body in a bag, treating it as a makeshift coffin, and walked toward the bus stand. Fellow passengers described the father as utterly devastated, unable to speak or react.

When contacted, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Shivcharan Hansda of Chaibasa Sadar Hospital claimed ignorance of the incident. “I have no information about this yet. Reports are being sought from the concerned staff and authorities,” he stated, highlighting a worrying gap in administrative accountability.

This tragic episode has once again sparked nationwide concern over the insensitivity and inefficiency in the healthcare system, leaving citizens questioning the readiness and responsiveness of public hospitals in critical emergencies.