A man in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district carried his dead infant in a cardboard box from a government hospital to his house, allegedly because he was denied an ambulance, the baby’s father told the media on Sunday.
Hospital authorities, however, denied the allegations, stating that neither the father nor anyone else from his family had requested an ambulance.
Ramkrishna Hembram, a resident of Bangrasai village, had admitted his pregnant wife Rita Tiria to the Chakradharpur sub-divisional hospital on Thursday. She gave birth to the baby on Saturday, but it died shortly after. “The doctors didn’t take proper care during and after delivery, due to which the baby died. After its death, health workers kept pressing us to remove the dead body. We demanded an ambulance or any other vehicle from the hospital to take the dead body back to our village (in Bandgaon Block), but they refused. Then, I put my baby in a leftover cardboard box and left for my village,” Hembram told the media on Sunday.
The doctor in charge of the Chakradharpur sub-divisional hospital, Dr Anshuman Sharma, however, denied the allegations and said, “Neither the father of the dead newborn baby nor anyone from his family requested me or any authority of the hospital for an ambulance. Had they approached us, we would have surely arranged an ambulance for them,” Dr Sharma said.
{{/usCountry}}The doctor in charge of the Chakradharpur sub-divisional hospital, Dr Anshuman Sharma, however, denied the allegations and said, “Neither the father of the dead newborn baby nor anyone from his family requested me or any authority of the hospital for an ambulance. Had they approached us, we would have surely arranged an ambulance for them,” Dr Sharma said.
{{/usCountry}}Chakradharpur sub-divisional officer Shruti Rajalakshmi said the district authority is conducting an inquiry into matter. “Appropriate action will be taken soon,” she said.
The West Singhbhum civil surgeon could not be contacted as the post had been lying vacant for the past eight days.