Not a single door opened for me: Harried father
AGRA The battle against corona virus is taking a heavy toll on non-Covid patients, too. Manjeet Sutela, a footwear trader, ran from pillar to post but could not find a doctor to treat his nineday-old daughter. The day passed and when he finally went to SN Medical College and Hospital, it was too late. By evening, the infant in his lap was no more.
“My daughter had fever on Tuesday morning. I took her to a doctor in my locality but his treatment gave mere temporary relief. For better treatment, I took her to a private nursing home in Maruti Estate. I waited an hour for my turn but once it came, I was told that she could not be attended to,” complained the father while revealing the ordeal he faced on Tuesday.
“I was told to take my daughter to a well-established nursing home in Tajganj area but I found it sealed. Left with no choice I rushed towards SN Medical College and Hospital but it was too late by then,” he lamented.
“Not a single door opened for me and I pray that what happened to me should not be faced by anyone else,” he said.
Post the spotlight on corona cases, non Covid patients are facing a harrowing time, as most hospitals are not entertaining general cases.
Sutela’s is not the only case of its kind in Agra. Earlier, three similar cases of medical neglect had reached the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights when children had died because of non-availability or delay in treatment.
Last month, a social activist in Agra, Naresh Paras had complained about death of an eightmonth-old child from Telipada locality, a 12-year-old child from Chipitola area and the foetus of a pregnant mother in a nursing home here, due to lack of treatment. Taking cognizance of the complaint, the commission wrote to the district magistrate of Agra to look into the matter urgently, take immediate disciplinary action for negligence of hospital staff and furnish action taken report in three days.
The complainant Naresh Paras said he had not received any copy of a reply, while the district magistrate was not available for comment.
Meanwhile, with private doctors and hospitals closing doors for patients, the load has come on SN Medical College and Hospital where too non Covid patients are facing no less agony.
On Tuesday, a video went viral of a cancer patient whose foot was bitten by rats in the emergency ward of SN Medical College and Hospital. Indra Khandelwal, the patient’s husband complained that he was denied treatment at private hospital despite paying the fees. Ironically, his wife was under treatment there earlier.
“I had to bring my wife to the emergency ward of SN Medical College and Hospital but here the state of affairs is reflected by fact that the toe of my ailing wife was bitten by rats and I was told to take the patient away when I complained,” said Khandelwal, adding that his wife’s sample tested negative for Covid-19.
Post the video, the district magistrate had inquired into the incident, with instructions that such a thing should not recur.
In such a situation, availability of treatment from private doctors and nursing homes has become an issue.
Last month, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the district administration held talks in this context.
NINE-DAY-OLD BABY DIES FOR WANT OF TREATMENT, RATS NIBBLE CANCER PATIENT’S TOE IN SNMC, AGRA