DHARMAPURI: Residents of Pennagaram and Pappireddipatti have expressed disappointment at the lack of state-sponsored free hearse services at government hospitals. The emotionally distressed kin are forced to transport their deceased relatives on private hearse service paying exorbitant charges.
The Tamil Nadu Health System Project's free hearse Service (155377) has not been functioning in government hospitals in Pennagaram and Pappireddipatti.
These two taluks are largely hilly regions where a major portion of residents hail from semi-urban or rural hilly areas where ambulance access is limited. Due to the limited accessibility to their villages and taking advantage of the situation, private hearse services have been charging exorbitant amounts between Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000, according to local sources.
As a result, the residents have urged the administration and health department to take steps to allot ambulances to GHs in Pennagaram and Pappireddipatti.
Speaking to TNIE, S Kumar, a farmer from Pennagaram, said, "Recently, a close kin of mine died in an accident. Most of us hail from poor farming backgrounds working as labourers. We were unable to prepare for his demise and after his autopsy we had sought a hearse.
But the government's free hearse service was unavailable. So we had to rely on a private hearse service, which is basically an ambulance. It cost is Rs 4,000, as our home lies nearly 15km away from the Pennagaram GH. We had to borrow money for transporting the body to the crematorium.
The free hearse service would have been helpful. We urge the government to establish the free service, so poor families can benefit from the scheme."
Another resident from Pappireddipatti, V K Shanmugam, said, "In Pappireddipatti, there is no free hearse service. When we contact the tollfree number, if we are lucky, we get a hearse from Salem. But we are charged up to `6,000. A free hearse service would enable families to send off their loved ones in a dignified manner. It is distressing when families cannot even offer their kin a decent send-off.
They spend hours at the Pappireddipatti GH waiting for some assistance from family or friends, as transporting dead relatives is very expensive. This coupled with the cost of last rites have left many people financially distressed after the death of a loved one. We hope immediate efforts are taken to allot more ambulances exclusively for free hearse services."
When TNIE reached out to Joint Director of Medical Services Dr C Bharathi she was not available for comments.
