Jagannath Prasad: The widespread panic caused by COVID-19 is gradually killing the human values as people are hesitating to go near the bodies of even their near and dear ones.
In such an incident, a retired teachers’ body was left unattended for as long as six hours at Panchabhuti Gouda Sahi under Jagannath Prasad block in Ganjam district. Neither close relatives nor neighbours did turn up to be the pallbearers of the bier.
As Ganesh Satapathy complained of fever, his wife rushed him to Jagannath Prasad government hospital at 8am. But he could not be saved. The deceased’s elder brother Binayak had died four days ago due to cardiac arrest.
Fearing, both the siblings died of coronavirus, none of the neighbours stepped forward to help the family with performing his last rites. The body was seen lying in the middle of the village for six hours as villagers seemed to be just bystanders.
However, at the time of filing this report, some Jagannath Prasad block employees and representatives of local sarpanch reached the village to perform the teacher’s last rites.
PNN