UP: 4-day-old baby dies after parents shunted between hospital wings in Bareilly

A four-day-old baby lost her life after her parents were shunted between two wings of a government hospital on Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly.

The baby was born on June 15 in a private hospital. She was having difficulty in breathing due to which her parents took her to a government hospital.

On reaching the men’s wing of Maharana Pratap Joint Hospital, the doctor on duty refused to examine the baby and instructed them to take her to the hospital’s women’s wing.

However, on reaching the women’s wing, the doctors told them to go back to the men’s wing citing shortage of beds.

“We were made to run around for over three hours, because they simply refused to admit her. Finally, we decided to take her back home, but she died on the hospital stairs,” NDTV quoted Kusma Devi, the child’s grandmother, as saying.

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If reports are to be believed, Dr Kamlendra Swaroop Gupta, Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the men’s wing, and Dr Alka Sharma, Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the women’s wing, traded accusations, which can be seen in videos made by locals and journalists on their mobile phones.

Following the death of the newborn, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered suspension of Dr Kamlendra Swaroop Gupta and ordered for departmental proceedings against Dr Alka Sharma.

“I have ordered suspension of CMS of Male Hospital Bareilly on the negligence of duty and have ordered for departmental proceedings against CMS of Women Hospital. Any insensitivity by Govt. officials will not be tolerated in #NewUP,” Adityanath tweeted.

“The action was taken after a critically sick child was brought to Male Hospital, where sufficient paediatricians were available, but instead of stabilising the child and giving due treatment, he turned family away to Women Hospital. CMS of Women Hospital referred child back,” read his another tweet.

Sheer negligence on part of the doctors took away that little baby’s life. We applaud the decision taken by the state government.