After a 35-year-old woman battling tuberculosis died at Badshah Khan Civil Hospital in Faridabad, her family was forced to carry her body home on a motorised pushcart as they could not afford an ambulance or hearse service.The 12-km journey, with the husband walking alongside his young son covering the body with a shroud. Passers-by witnessed the heart-breaking scene, and the family had to borrow money from neighbours for the last rites.After the video went viral, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the hospital ordered an inquiry to identify any operational lapses at the emergency and trauma departments.The patient, Anuradha Devi, died on Wednesday after a prolonged battle with tuberculosis. Her husband, Jhunjhun, said he exhausted his savings on her treatment at multiple hospitals, including AIIMS in Delhi. He said he had asked the hospital staff to arrange for a hearse or ambulance to transport the body to their home at Sarurpur village, but they refused to provide any such facility.“With no money left, the hospital’s ambulance staff told me to arrange for the transport, and private operators quoted Rs 500 to Rs 700, which I could not pay. Finally, I asked my family members to arrange for a pushcart,” he said.Hospital officials said government ambulances were not meant to transport body, and that hearse vans via the Red Cross were available, but required a formal request.Faridabad Red Cross secretary Bijender Saurat said ambulance services had been arranged within the hospital complex. “When the control room informs them of a death, they provide a hearse to assist the victim’s family. The service is offered free of cost. In this case, our department did not receive any call,” he said.The Civil Surgeon, Dr Jayant Ahuja, said an inquiry had been ordered and action would be taken in case of staff negligence. “A high-level committee of senior doctors under Principal Medical Officer Dr Ram Bhagat has been set up. I will comment on the issue after receiving the inquiry report,” he said.Talking about the incident, AAP national media incharge Anurag Dhandha said, “It was a painful sight to watch the 12-year-old boy, who kept covering his mother’s body lying on the cart with a cloth. This is not just an image, it is the harsh reality of the BJP government’s failed healthcare system. In a state where the government boasts of its achievements through advertisements, forcing a poor man to transport his wife’s body on a cart is shameful.”