Bengal woman forced to carry injured husband on back after hospital fails to provide wheelchair

A woman was forced to carry her injured husband on her back at a state-run hospital in West Bengal on Monday due to a lack of available wheelchairs. The woman had brought her injured husband to the hospital in an e-rickshaw in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. However, the hospital lacked sufficient wheelchairs, and some were non-functional. She then had to carry her husband on her back to admit him.

51-year-old Paritosh Burman is a daily wage laborer. He injured his legs at work when he fell during construction work, and stones fell on his legs, causing serious injuries. Paritosh's wife, Salita Burman, also worked at the same construction site. She rushed to him after the accident. Due to poverty, they couldn't afford even an auto-rickshaw to the hospital. So, Salita brought her husband to the Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital in an e-rickshaw.

After stopping the e-rickshaw in front of the hospital, the wife rushed inside and requested a wheelchair, explaining her husband's leg injury. The hospital's response was deeply disappointing. They had only a couple of functioning wheelchairs, which were already in use by other patients. Realizing the delay could worsen her husband's condition, Salita didn't argue further.

She returned to the e-rickshaw, carried her husband on her back, and entered the hospital. She stood in the queue, completed the registration process, and carried him to admit him. However, Salita's ordeal wasn't over. Her husband was admitted to the outpatient ward. After some time, the doctor arrived and examined him.

The doctor recommended a CT scan, which wasn't available in the same building. They had to go to another building. Still, the hospital didn't provide a wheelchair. Left with no choice, Salita carried her husband on her back to the CT scan facility.

After the scan, she carried him back to the outpatient ward in the adjacent building. Meanwhile, other people at the hospital captured photos and videos of the hospital's mismanagement and the couple's plight and posted them on social media.