BHOPAL: A 3-year-old cancer patient died in a private hospital on Sunday morning as all calls to shift the child to another hospital having better medical facilities fell on deaf ears. Even the 108 emergency ambulance service failed to respond in time. The blood cancer patient Metansh was undergoing treatment at Navodya Cancer Hospital, in MP Nagar.
The hospital authorities tried hard to get the child shifted to another hospital but in wane, the child died in hospital on Sunday morning. The child’s family who lives in Mandideep unfortunately did not have Ashyushman Card, which entails health care upto Rs5 lakh to a family. Metansh was undergoing treatment at Navodya hospital for last one week. For better treatment, the hospital administration had decided to shift the child to another child hospital as his hemoglobin and platelets count was declining drastically. However, citing various excuses all the hospital expressed their inability to take the child whose condition was deteriorating drastically.
Seeing no one coming forward, Navodya Hospital administration called up 108 emergency ambulance service, however, they too allegedly did not respond positively. The ambulance emergency response service people expressed their inability to reach to the hospital and shift the child to Kamla Nehru Hospital. The three-year-old breathed his last at Navodya Hospital.
Dr Shyam Agrawal, MD Navodyaya Hospital said Metansh was undergoing treatment for blood cancer at the hospital for the last one week. “ When his condition started deteriorating, I talked to other hospitals like Miracles, Red Cross and others to admit the child. Miracles Hospital authorities sent an ambulance but it refused to admit the child stating that there was no ventilator. Red Cross refused stating that it does not have intensive care unit for child,” informed Agrawal.
Thereafter we contacted 108 emergency ambulance but it did respond properly, said the doctor. The child’s family was not having Ashyshman Card. I wanted to shift child to Kamla Nehru Hospital but 108 emergency ambulance did not cooperate. The child died on Sunday morning,” said Agarwal.
Minister to inquire into the matter: Health minister Tulsi Silawat said, “I will look into matter and inquire how 108 ambulance services did not respond in time. But Navodya hospital should have contacted me in morning instead of contacting other hospitals. I would have arranged all the things for the cancer suffering child. It is unfortunate that the child died.”
