One corner of the white cloth covered a tiny arm, with its head on the lap, a young boy dazed, rests on it. The story, which told of an unimaginable sense of helplessness and apathy, was told back to the wall.
Gulshan, aged 8, was photographed sitting next to Raja, his brother at 2 years old. Their father Poojaram Jatav searched desperately for a car that would take them back home.
Poojaram, a resident of Badfra Village of Ambah had taken his 2-year old son to Morena District Hospital, approximately 450km north of Bhopal. He was referred by an ambulance from a nearby hospital.
Raja succumbed to anaemia (or ascites) – abdominal swelling due to the accumulation of fluid. This is most commonly related with liver disease. Raja passed away during treatment. The ambulance which had taken them was already back.
Poojaram, an elderly man with limited resources, asked the hospital staff for permission to rent a car to carry the body back home to his village (30 km) away. Poojaram, a man of limited means, said that he had been turned down by the hospital and was told that he wouldn’t be able to drive the vehicle back to his village. He would need one from outside.