Bihar: Ailing infant carried around with oxygen cylinder, dies

An incident in which a couple were forced to carry their newborn in a tray along with an oxygen cylinder in Buxar's Sadar Hospital has surfaced in Bihar's Buxar. The child died following which health authorities have ordered an investigation.

Buxar: In a case of gross negligence and mismanagement that have surfaced in Bihar, a newborn, who was suffering from heart ailments died after being denied treatment by multiple hospitals. What's more appalling is that the infant's parents were forced to carry their newborn in a tray along with an oxygen cylinder from one hospital to another.

Pictures of a man, later identified as Suman Kumar, carrying oxygen cylinder on his shoulder with its tube attached to his critically ill newborn, laid in a tray, carried by his wife Vimla has been doing the rounds on social media. A video purportedly showing the infant on oxygen support being carried in arms of its mother, later identified as Vimla, apparently due to lack of a stretcher at state-run Sadar Hospital, has sparked outrage.

The incident happened on July 23 at Sadar Hospital in Buxar, which is a Lok Sabha constituency of Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family welfare. The case of alleged medical negligence has prompted the health authorities to order an investigation into the matter.

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Accusing the hospital administration of apathy, Suman Kumar said, "I took my wife to Sadar Hospital for delivery but the hospital denied treatment. They referred us to a private hospital where she gave birth to a baby. The child was suffering from cardiac ailments. Instead of providing medical attention, the private hospital authorities provided us with an oxygen cylinder and tray and we were forced to carry our child back to Sadar Hospital, which is 18-km away."

"We were feeling helpless as the entire documentation took around 1.5 hours and meanwhile, the health of my child deteriorated. No one came forward to help us," the grief-stricken father narrated his ordeal.

"Had the hospital administration provided the treatment at the right time, my child would have survived. We lost our child," said the bereaved father, adding that we were made to run from one hospital to another.

"Moreover, no arrangements were made by the hospital administration to send us back home after our child died," the couple alleged.

Asked about the incident, Jitendra Nath, civil surgeon said, "We have instructed Deputy Superintendent to look into the matter. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty."

Aman Sameer, District Magistrate said, "I am appalled to know about the incident. Deputy Development Commissioner Arvind Kumar and Civil Surgeon have been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. Strict action will be taken against those responsible."

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