In a heart-wrenching incident, a young couple in Maharashtra was forced to carry the bodies of their two sons on their shoulders for around 15 kilometres due to the unavailability of an ambulance.
The two boys—aged less than 10 years—died due to fever after they could not avail proper treatment on time.
A video of the incident, which allegedly took place at Aheri taluka in Gadchiroli district, was shared on social media by Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar, sparking off an outrage in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is the Guardian Minister of the district.
दोन्ही लेकरांचे ‘मृतदेह’ खांद्यावर घेऊन चिखलातून वाट शोधत पुढे जात असलेले हे दाम्पत्य गडचिरोली जिल्ह्यातील अहेरी तालुक्यातील आहे.
— Vijay Wadettiwar (@VijayWadettiwar) September 5, 2024
आजोळी आलेल्या दोन भावंडांना ताप आला. वेळेत उपचार मिळाले नाही. दोन तासांतच दोघांचीही प्रकृती खालावली व दीड तासांच्या अंतराने दोघांनीही अखेरचा श्वास… pic.twitter.com/ekQBQHXeGu
“The two siblings were suffering from fever, but they did not get the treatment on time. Within a couple of hours, their condition deteriorated, and within the next one hour, the two boys died,” said Wadettiwar in a post on X.
The video he shared showed the young couple carrying the bodies of their sons through a muddy forest road.
“There was no ambulance to take the body home from the hospital. The parents carried the bodies of both the siblings on their shoulders. Finding a path through the mud, they reached Pattigaon in Aheri taluka, 15 km away, on foot," Wadettiwar said.
Highlighting the poor healthcare situation in the region, the Congress leader took potshots at Fadnavis and cabinet minister Dharma Rao Baba Atram. Atram, an NCP leader, represents Aheri Assembly constituency.
“Both make claims of how the state can develop every day by conducting events all over Maharashtra. They should go down to the ground level and see how the people live in Gadchiroli and the death toll there,” he said.
