E-Paper
9-year-old denied admission to Sarojani Naidu Medical College, Agra, dies
The girl died outside the emergency ward, as she was seriously ill and needed immediate medical attention, alleged family members
A nine-year-old girl, bitten by dog about a month-and-a-half ago, was allegedly denied admission to the emergency ward of the Sarojani Naidu Medical College in Agra on Friday evening. The girl died outside the emergency ward, as she was seriously ill and needed immediate medical attention, alleged family members.
The father, Ramveer Singh, a resident of Jarar, in Bah, in rural Agra, said that his daughter Anju (nine) was bitten by dog about one and a half months ago and after that she was taken to the primary health centre of their locality in Bah, but the officer available at the health centre refused to give anti rabies vaccination (ARV) as Anju had no Aadhar card and asked them to come the next day.
He later informed, “We went the next day carrying the Aadhar card, then the official made the excuse that ARVs were not available. I visited the health centre more than five times and each time I was given a different excuse.”
Singh further said, “The condition of the girl became serious on Friday and we brought her to Sarojani Naidu Medical College in Agra, but struggled a lot to get her admitted. We waited outside the emergency ward for about an hour, but the girl was not admitted and died in the lap of her mother.”
“I requested everyone to admit my daughter, but no one heard me. Anju was in the fifth standard and was good in studies,” he added.
While Agra chief medical officer (CMO) Mukesh Kumar Vatsa claimed that anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) was available at the Primary Health Centre of Jarar. “The family members might not have contacted the person concerned or were asked to come at certain time period,” the CMO said.
When asked about the negligence of doctors at SN Medical College, the CMO claimed, “I will talk to the principal of the medical college in this regard and will be able to comment only after that.”
SN Medical College superintendent in chief (SIC) SK Majumdar, when contacted, said, “The girl was in serious condition and she had already developed hydrophobia. Family members brought her very late to SN Medical College emergency ward, at about 8:35pm.”
SN Medical College and Hospital former medicine department head Dr BB Maheshwari explains that hydrophobia signifies the adverse affect caused by the virus to brain of the victim.
“Mostly associated with dog bite, the time that first symptoms show up varies because of the distance to be travelled by the virus to the brain. The victim turns hydrophobic sooner if the bite is on the face or neck and longer when bitten on the leg or arms. A dog bite victim gets affected in time taken by virus in brain,” said Maheshwari.
“The patient feels thirsty but trembles seeing water with neck getting choked and is unable to drink water leading often to deadly consequences,” Maheshwari stated.
When he was told that the family members of the girl alleged that they struggled to get the girl admitted and requested everyone at the emergency ward, he claimed, “No one has denied admission to the girl, but the condition of the girl was very serious.”
