7-yr old boy carries ailing father in push cart in MP's Singrauli; no ambulance from 108

The 7-year-old boy and his mother called 108 and waited for 20 minutes despite his father's health condition deteriorating badly. Left with no choice, he took his sick father on push cart to the hospital. Lack of medical facilities in Singrauli is forcing people to carry sick persons in bikes, carts and on shoulders.

Singrauli: Passers-by were greatly moved on seeing a seven-year-old boy taking his ailing father on a wooden push cart to the government hospital for treatment. The incident took place in Baliari town of Singrauli district. The general public started making comments on this issue, saying that it only exposed yet again the apathy of the government to the plight of the people due to lack of ambulance and such medical facilities here.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Singrauli Additional Collector D P Burman initiated an enquiry into the matter on Saturday. Despite the Madhya Pradesh government allocating huge funds for the development of medical infrastructure in the state, an instance of grave medical negligence has surfaced now.

In Baliari, locals spotted the child carrying his sick father on a wooden cart to be taken to the District Hospital and Trauma Center here. The child along with his mother pushed the cart for about 3 kilometres. They had to do it as even after 20 minutes of making an emergency call at 108, the ambulance did not arrive. The duo had waited for some time but with the condition of the patient was deteriorating. They were left with no other choice but to carry him in the cart.

The video was taken by locals and uploaded online, which immediately caught the attention of the authorities. As soon as Additional District Magistrate Burman came to know about the incident, he ordered a special team to investigate the matter. He said that action will be taken against the guilty based on the investigation report on the non-availability of an ambulance in the said case.

"It has been learnt that due to the non-availability of an ambulance, the patient had to be taken to the hospital by his wife and innocent son. The Chief Medical Officer and civil surgeon have been directed to find out the reason for the non-availability of ambulances," the Additional Collector told the press later on Saturday evening.