Aurangabad: In a heart-wrenching incident, a garbage vehicle was used to transport a Covid-19 victim’s body to a crematorium in Kinhi village of Maharashtra’s Osmanabad district after ambulances were unavailable and private vehicles refused to offer assistance despite extra money offers.
An official from Dholki Police Station said the incident took place on Monday, when a resident of Kinhi village went to consult a private doctor in the neighbouring Ter village and collapsed and died outside the clinic, PTI reported.
He said the police were immediately informed and a team from a government hospital was called in after the incident, adding the man was found Covid-19 positive following a rapid antigen test.
Vijay Hajgude, the sarpanch of Kinhi gram panchayat, said the body was after necessary procedures handed over to the village authorities, who tried to hire an ambulance.
“The ambulance at Ter hospital was reserved for ferrying pregnant women, so it could not be used for Covid-19 patients. Although, we offered to pay double charges, other private vehicles, including local auto-rickshaws, also refused to transport the body to the crematorium in Kinhi,” said Hajgude, adding a garbage collection vehicle was called in eventually to take the body to the crematorium.