Sunita’s two-and-a-half-year-old son Siddhartha died in the ICU unit of Birat Nursing home in Biratnagar on Monday, October 12. The body of his two-and-a-half-year-old has been held hostage at the hospital for three days as Sunita could not pay the remaining due of Rs. 1 lakh to the hospital.

Sunita, a resident of Manpur Kharasalba in Siraha Municipality-5 and her whole family is begging for her son’s body since Relatives are trying to bring the hostage body to the hospital for cremation. However, they are not able to get the body out of the hospital due to lack of money.

Sunita's husband Sunil Sada, the breadwinner for the family died in a motorcycle accident on September 2. Since then the family was making a living from the relief assistance provided by Mankari. Meanwhile, her youngest son Siddhartha fell ill.

The doctor in RK Medicity Hospital in Siraha told that Siddhartha had intestinal problems and advised to take him to a well-equipped hospital in Biratnagar. She did not have the required amount to go to Biratnagar immediately so she took loan of total 1.5 lakhs form three people in the village. At Birat Nursing home Sidhhatha underwent an abdominal surgery and the family was reassured that he would recover. But the child's health did not improve as the doctor advised and less than five days later, he underwent surgery again. He was moved from the ICU to the general ward saying that he would be discharged soon.

The family accused the hospital for their improper and untimely treatment even when the child was finding difficult to breathe the nurse just put an oxygen mask without calling senior doctor. The doctor arrived only at 8 in the morning and only then he rushed to the ICU. The doctor refused to talk about the condition of the baby till afternoon and they saw the baby was in pipes and oxygen mask and only at 5pm doctor announced him as dead.

Then the doctors of the hospital started harassing her to get the body after signing the paper and paying the hospital bill. They appealed to the officials and representatives of Dalit organizations but there are no meaningful initiative from anywhere so far. They also contacted Siraha Municipality Chief Aseshwar Yadav, he expressed being unaware bout the incident and after receiving the information, he told to immediately find a solution by coordinating with CDO.

The hospital side, on the other hand, has stated that it has fulfilled its duty to treat the patients and now it is their duty to collect the amount for the treatment. According to the provisions of Constitution of Nepal, Article 35, Clause (1) Right to Health provides that every citizen shall have the right to receive free basic health care from the state and no one shall be deprived of emergency health care. And, Article 25 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 states that every person has the right to an adequate standard of living for the health and well-being of his or her family, including food, clothing, shelter and social services. Provision has been made for the right to protection in case of illness, disability, widowhood, old age or any other situation beyond one's control.

Of the seven states in the country, two have already passed the Dalit Empowerment Act. There is also a high-level committee under the coordination of Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut to solve the problems of Dalits. But less than a month after losing her husband, a Dalit woman lost her infant son during treatment.

This is a reality that has simultaneously exposed poverty, the inconsistency between the state apparatus, the inhumane character of society and the treatment of citizens' health. The country has a civilian government but still is insensitive and irresponsible. This case is an example. The body of a Dalit survivor has been taken hostage at the hospital. Governments on both sides of Provinces 1 and 2 have made big announcements in the name of the Dalit community. But, the reality is different