Patna, Aug 19 (IANS): In a tragic and disturbing incident, half a dozen security guards allegedly assaulted the grieving parents of a deceased child at Sadar Hospital in Biharsharif on Monday.
The altercation reportedly occurred after the parents accused the hospital's doctors of failing to provide necessary treatment to their critically ill 8-year-old child, who subsequently passed away.
The incident sparked outrage among the local community, leading to a large crowd gathering at the hospital to protest against the hospital administration.
The protesters expressed their anger and demanded accountability for the alleged negligence and the assault on the grieving parents.
In response, local police swiftly arrived at the scene to calm the agitated crowd that had gathered in protest against the hospital administration.
Guddu Kumar, the father of the deceased child, recounted the harrowing events leading up to the confrontation.
“My 8-year-old son had fallen into a water-filled pit in Barandi village. I rescued my son and rushed him to Sadar Hospital for treatment. Despite admitting the boy to the emergency ward, the medical staff allegedly did not initiate any treatment. After some time, a doctor declared the child dead. My son was alive when we arrived at the hospital,” Kumar said.
“As we mourned, security guards initiated a lathi charge, asking us to leave the hospital premises and assaulted our family, including my wife,” Kumar said.
It has further intensified the family's grief and the anger of the local community.
Following these events, Kunal Kumar, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the town police station, arrived at the hospital and attempted to calm down the situation. He assured the victim's family that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible for the assault.
In response to the allegations made by the grieving family, the administration of Sadar Hospital in Biharsharif offered a different account of the events.
As per Dr. Ashok Kumar, the Deputy Superintendent of the hospital, the child was already dead when brought to the hospital.
“The family members pressured the doctors to begin treatment despite the child being unresponsive. When the medical staff refused to administer treatment, citing the child's condition, the situation escalated, leading to verbal abuse from the family,” Dr Kumar said.
He stated that the security guards then used "mild force" to manage the situation.
This incident is part of a troubling pattern at the hospital, where, in the last three days, three children have reportedly died due to a lack of treatment. Among them was a three-year-old boy named Tugu Kumar, who died in the hospital in the absence of doctors. A seven-year-old girl also died in the absence of doctors. She was the victim of a snake bite.