ROURKELA: Tension flared up at Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) here on Sunday, December 12, 2021, after a dead body was found mutilated by stray dog in the mortuary of the premier health facility. Sources said one Rajesh Yadav (40) of Gopabandhupali died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle near Malgodam area on Thursday. His body was preserved in the morgue of RGH by Uditnagar police.
Rajesh’s nephew Sonu Yadav said police informed them about his uncle’s death on Friday morning and as action was pending against the vehicle involved in the accident, they decided to keep the body in the morgue. On Sunday morning, when they came to take possession of the body, they found the face partially eaten away by a dog. Reportedly, some people even saw a stray dog coming out of the mortuary.
Pointing to the lapses of the RGH administration, Sonu said it is painful to see the utter disregard shown to a person after his death. He demanded stringent action against the people manning the morgue. After finding the body mutilated, family members of Rajesh along with some locals laid siege to the RGH for over six hours and staged protest. On being informed, Rourkela tehsildar and executive Magistrate Chandrakant Mallick rushed to the spot. The hospital administration also ordered an inquiry into the incident. After being assured of action, the agitators relented and called off their protest.
RGH Superintendent Dr Jagadish Barik said preliminary investigation revealed that a dog managed to enter the mortuary and mutilated the face of the deceased person. A committee has already started investigation into the incident and anyone found guilty of negligence would face action. Necessary steps would be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in future. Barik said the mortuary has been operating since 2017 and it was the first such incident.