Phulbani, July 3: The ongoing doctors' protest in Odisha's Kandhamal district has started taking a toll on public healthcare services, with a bereaved family being forced to travel nearly 65 km to conduct a post-mortem after the death of a 60-year-old man.

The deceased, identified as Pusara Pradhan of Nedinayu village under Gadaguda Gram Panchayat in G. Udayagiri block, allegedly drowned while visiting a village pond with his granddaughter on Wednesday evening. Family members rescued him and rushed him to the G. Udayagiri Community Health Centre (CHC), where doctors declared him dead.

However, the family alleged that the post-mortem examination could not be conducted at the local hospital due to the ongoing doctors' agitation. As a result, the body remained at the hospital overnight.

On Thursday morning, after waiting for several hours in drizzling rain, the family and local residents arranged to transport the body to the District Headquarters Hospital in Phulbani, around 65 km away, for the mandatory post-mortem.

Pusara Pradhan is survived by three sons and a daughter. His wife had passed away earlier. The unexpected journey and associated expenses have added to the hardship of the economically vulnerable family.

Police said the exact cause of death would be confirmed after the post-mortem report is received.

The incident has once again highlighted the impact of the doctors' protest on healthcare services in rural Odisha, raising concerns over the availability of emergency medical and post-mortem facilities. Local residents have urged the government to extend financial assistance to the bereaved family and ensure uninterrupted healthcare services during the agitation.

Gadaguda Sarpanch Pushpalata Pradhan, youth social worker Aman Chandra Nayak, Sanjeeb Prasad Nayak and several villagers accompanied the family while the body was being taken to Phulbani for the post-mortem.