Tribal Couple Carries Stillborn Child Home in Carton After Jharkhand Hospital Fails Them

A tribal couple in Chaibasa were forced to carry their stillborn child home in a carton after the sub-divisional hospital at Chakradharpur reportedly failed to provide transport facilities, officials said. The incident occurred on Saturday when Rita Triya, a resident of Bangarasai village under Karaikela police station, delivered a stillborn child.

Rita’s husband, Ramakrishna Hembram, said the hospital did not provide any ambulance or hearse after the delivery, forcing them to return home in a toto with the deceased infant in a carton. The Medical Officer in Charge, Dr Anshuman Sharma, confirmed the woman had been admitted on March 5 and had complications during pregnancy, with the foetus showing no detectable heartbeat during initial examinations. The woman went into labour before an ultrasound could be performed, leading to the stillbirth.

Dr Sharma stated that the family did not request hospital assistance for transporting the body and that had they done so, necessary arrangements, including an ambulance, would have been provided. The hospital administration became aware of the incident only after a video of the couple carrying the child surfaced online in the evening. An internal inquiry has been launched to investigate the matter.

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The Jharkhand State Health Department has also ordered a probe. Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Ajoy Singh said action would be taken against anyone found responsible. This is the second such reported incident in Chaibasa within months; in December 2025, a father in Noamundi was forced to carry his deceased four-month-old child in a plastic bag after transport facilities were not provided.

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