Nine-month-old girl dies after hospital denies admission

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: As the national capital grapples with the deadly viral disease Dengue, spread by infected mosquitoes, hospitals seem to be indifferent to those suffering from it.

In a shocking case that has come to light, a nine-month-old baby girl who was suffering from dengue symptoms lost her life after she and her parents were denied admission in a prominent Delhi government hospital.

The father, Dharmendra, a security guard with the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, said his daughter was rushed to the hospital after she suffered from vomitting, loose motions and high fever on September 7.

"As a hospital employee I knew the initial procedure and accordingly fulfilled the formalities and later took my daughter for medical check up at the paediatric ward and met its head," the anguished father told IANS

The surprising thing here is that the doctor whom the father showed his daughter to, confirmed the problem, yet, refused to take them in. The father said, "Though he admitted to the seriousness of the condition, the doctor refused to admit my daughter or go for any blood test at the hospital."

Stating that the doctor recommended some medicines to stop the vomitting and fever, Dharmendra said despite suspicion of dengue, the doctor promised that the blood test would be done the next day.

When the patient was taken on September 8, the father was told to come a day later.

According to Dharmendra, he visited the doctor and the paediatric department on September 9 and 10 even as his daughter's condition deteriorated.

The hospital authorities kept denying the blood test citing various reasons, delaying medication.

On September 11, Dharmendra again rushed to the hospital seeking assistance after his daughter's health slipped further. Again, she was not given admission after which, the girl died.

"We pleaded with the doctor to admit her and even approached other hospital authorities but all went in vain. My daughter passed away," the man told IANS.

The hospital's Medical Superintendent, Amita Saxena, told IANS: "We have received a complaint from the father. We are looking into the matter."

(With IANS inputs)