Docs Refuse To Issue Death Certificate, Man Approaches Collector With Infant’s Body In Odisha’s Sonepur

Sonepur: In an instance of negligent healthcare system in Odisha, a man had to approach Subarnapur district collector for death certificate of his infant as the doctors refused to issue it.

According to sources, Samrat Pradhan of Kapasira village under Dunguripali block of the district took his one-month-old child, who was not well, to the district headquarters hospital (DHH). After checking the child, the doctors admitted the infant in the hospital and started treatment.

But the child’s condition started deteriorating during the treatment and the doctors advised Samrat to shift him to VSS Medical College and Hospital at Burla. While Samrat was taking his child in an ambulance to Burla, the baby died on the way at Ulunda.

Samrat along with his wife Kuni Pradhan carried their dead child to the local hospital and requested the doctors for death certificate. But the doctors refused to issue the certificate on the ground that the child was not under treatment in the hospital.

A helpless Samrat again went to the DHH and approached the authorities there. But they also refused to issue the death certificate as the child had not died there.

With the two hospitals closing their doors on him, Samrat along with the body of his child went to the collectorate seeking justice. However, on the intervention of the collector, arrangement was made to bring a doctor to the office and the death certificate of the infant was officially issued to Samrat.