A life hung in the balance, but callous absenteeism at Borai Civil Hospital in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari sealed its fate. Rushed in after a bike crash, Odisha native Agnu Ram Vishwakarma found no doctors or nurses to help. His death sparked a fierce overnight demonstration, exposing the dire state of emergency care in remote villages.
Late Sunday, on the Borai-Ghutkel stretch, the injured man was spotted in distress. Borai police and villagers wasted no time, delivering him to the hospital for urgent care. Shockingly, the emergency wing stood empty, devoid of any personnel. Without intervention, Vishwakarma perished on site.
Grief swiftly turned to rage. By 11 PM, locals had placed his body at the gate, protesting vehemently. Manoj Sakshi, ex-district panchayat member, blasted the system: ‘No doctor during emergencies? Informed officials stayed away despite calls.’ He decried services existing merely on documents.
This forest-adjacent area grapples with perennial health deficits—complaints, petitions, and rallies ignored repeatedly. Protesters demand perpetual doctor presence and accountability, refusing to budge without guarantees.
The clamor for a fair inquiry and harsh penalties against the negligent grows louder. In the aftermath, regional fury mounts against health department lapses, pushing for urgent overhauls to prevent future tragedies in marginalized zones.