Patna: Health authorities in Bihar have come under fire, for the second time in five days, following the release of video footage that showed a man carrying his seriously ill baby to hospital in his arms.
The child is seen wearing an oxygen mask, while being carried by the father as other relatives help with an oxygen cylinder, after a health institution reportedly refused to arrange an ambulance or stretcher.
The incident took place at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), considered to be the premier hospital in the entire state, on Thursday.
As per reports, the man had brought his child to PPCH, where the baby was diagnosed with serious cardiac problems.
Finding his situation critical, doctors at the hospital fitted the baby with an oxygen mask and ordered that the patient be shifted to the nearby Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology (IGIC), about 200 metres from the main hospital.
However, as hospital authorities rejected the father’s request for a trolley or ambulance, the family had to carry the child and medical equipment in their arms — with much difficulty.
“We demanded an ambulance or stretcher, but they told us to go on foot, saying IGIC was located close-by,” one of the attendants told the media.
TV footage showed one person carrying the baby fitted with oxygen mask in his arms and going to the IGIC on foot as other attendants hold the oxygen cylinder in hands.
The incident caused a storm in the Bihar state assembly on Friday as the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) members raised the issue in the House and sought action against the erring health authorities.
“We have issued a show-chase notice to the head of the paediatric department in the PMCH and action will be taken after the probe report comes,” Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey told the House.
He said an inquiry had already begun into the matter.
However, Bihar Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav ridiculed the prevailing health situation in the state.
“No ambulance, no stretcher … That’s the deadly condition of health in BJP-led Nitish government,” tweeted Tejashwi who served as the deputy chief minister in the previous Grand Alliance government.
A similar incident took place at a government hospital in Saharsa district earlier this week when an accident victim was operated on under torchlight, as there was no power at the time of surgery.
The woman identified as Ruby Devi, 45, ultimately died, allegedly due to the botched surgery and lack of proper care on Thursday night.
The deceased’s family is blaming “gross negligence” for the death of the woman.
“She died due to gross negligence of doctors and hospital authorities. We are now planning to seek legal recourse,” one of the deceased’s relatives, identified as Onkar, told the media on Friday.
The woman, a government schoolteacher, had gone for a morning walk along with her husband when the couple was hit by a speeding police jeep. While her husband died on the spot, the woman died on Thursday.
