Bhubaneswar, Sep 23 (IANS): The Odisha government has disputed the claim of Dana Majhi that he was denied a hearse or an ambulance to take his wife's body to his village in Kalahandi district.

"As stated by the nearby patients, their attendants in the ward, Dana Majhi took the patient without notice of anybody as they were asleep in the night," said the report of Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO).

The report said the patient was not declared dead.

Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak furnished the report in a written reply to Congress MLA Prafulla Majhi in the state Assembly on Friday.

"Sri Dana Majhi had never sought for any help or ambulance like dead body carrier etc to any of the hospital staff in that night. In case of poor patients, if approached, transportation arrangement is made from CMRF/RKS or Red Cross Fund.

"But in the case of Sri Dana Majhi, neither himself nor anybody had sought for any help or assistance like dead body carrier etc to any of the hospital staff," said the CDMO report.

However, the government has terminated staff nurse Rajendra Rana from service and the security agency for not informing hospital authorities about the matter.

Dana Majhi walked over 10 km with his wife's body on his shoulders and made international headlines in August this year.

Following the incident, several organisations had extended help to Majhi.