Coimbatore: A shocking incident of medical apathy surfaced from Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, where a man was allegedly forced to carry his elderly diabetic father to the ground floor after waiting for a wheelchair for a long. The incident, which took place at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Tuesday, was recorded on camera by a person accompanying them, and soon the video surfaced online.
On September 9, V Kalidasan took his 84-year-old father, C Vadivel, to the hospital's outpatient department, reported The Times of India. Kalidasan alleged that there was only one staff member at the reception and that person did not respond properly.
Video Of The Incident:
The man told the media house that the doctors suggested amputation of his father's foot. As per Kalidasan, he took his father to their floor through the elevator. He further stated that, as he was also under medical observation, he could not lift weights.
When Kalidasan approached a female staff member for a wheelchair for going to the ground floor, there was an empty wheelchair, and she demanded Rs 100 for that.
"I agreed to pay. But then she asked me to wait for 30 more minutes. I managed to carry my father to the ground floor using the elevator. As a person who accompanied us started recording the video, the staff member came forward to extend a wheelchair. But by then we had reached the autorickshaw," Kalidasan told TOI.
An inquiry was reportedly initiated against the contact company after the video became viral. Two supervisors were also suspended by the hospital administration for five days. As per CMCH dean M Geethanjali, there was no evidence for the staff member demanding money from Kalidasan.
Dean's Statement:
According to the report, four staff members of the company will be on standby with wheelchairs to avoid such incidents in future.
