On New Year's Day, a tragic incident unfolded when 24-year-old Sona Samantaray took her own life following a devastating mix-up at Bhubaneswar's Hi-Tech Hospital. The hospital mistakenly informed Sona that her husband, Dilip Samantaray, had died in an AC explosion at the facility. This shocking error was later revealed, leaving Sona's family in deep grief. The community expressed outrage and sorrow through protests outside the hospital.
Contrary to the hospital's initial information, Dilip, one of the AC technicians injured in the December 29 accident, is alive and recovering from burns in the same hospital. The person who lost his life in the incident was Jyotiranjan Mallick, another technician who suffered fatal injuries. Adding to the tragedy, Sritam, another injured technician, succumbed to his burns on January 3.
The misidentification by the hospital resulted in the release of the wrong body to Dilip's family on December 30. Sona's uncle, Rabindra Jena, stated that this misinformation directly contributed to her suicide. He expressed profound devastation, emphasizing that his niece took her own life due to the false information provided by the hospital.
Jyotiranjan's family, unaware of the misidentification, did not perform his last rites, believing him to be alive. His wife, Arpita Mukhi, lamented the difficulty in recognizing him during treatment due to severe burns.
Hi-Tech Hospital, however, refuted any negligence in the matter. CEO Smita Padhi claimed that the technicians were hired by a private company to repair the ACs, and each one was identified by a contractor linked to the company. Padhi asserted that legal and medical procedures were followed, and the families of all injured patients saw them at the hospital. She mentioned that the police handed over the body to Dilip's family without any reported concerns.
The incident has triggered public outrage and raised concerns about the hospital's identification procedures and communication with families during emergencies. The police are investigating the matter, and the families of the deceased are determined to seek justice.