A medical superintendent was suspended, while departmental action was initiated against another doctor for ‘negligence’ after a critically ill infant died in a hospital in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh after allegedly being shunted around from one department to another without treatment for more than three hours.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath ordered the suspension of the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the men’s wing of the Maharana Pratap District Hospital, Bareilly, K.S. Gupta on charges of “negligence of duty.”
Departmental proceeding would also be initiated against CMS of the women’s wing Alka Sharma.
The girl child, believed to be a few days old, was brought to the men’s wing on Wednesday, where sufficient paediatricians were available, but instead of providing necessary treatment to the child, his family was sent to the women’s wing.
However, the CMS of the women’s wing referred the child back to the men’s wing.
Sushma Devi, the grandmother of the infant, said they were made to run around for more than three hours when they tried to get the child admitted. Born in a private hospital, the child was brought to the district hospital after it developed breathing complications, reports said.
“When we went to the doctor (at the men’s wing) he asked us to take the child to the women’s ward. And when we did, they told us that those who filled the form will do the admission. The second time we went there (men’s ward), they said no bed is vacant,” said Ms. Devi.
When the family again took the child to the women’s wing, the infant died, she said.
The doctors allegedly engaged in a blame game after the incident.
Acting against the doctors, Mr. Adityanath tweeted, “any insensitivity by Govt. officials will not be tolerated.”
