Poor tribal family in Raj walks 6km with dead infant

An ailing seven-month-old infant of a poor tribal family in southeastern Rajasthan’s Baran district was shunted around from one hospital to another. Deprived of timely treatment, he died on the way home on Monday.

The death didn’t end the family’s ordeal. His father and grandmother had to carry the corpse on their shoulder for at least 6km until a reporter saw them walking and wailing. He offered them a lift.

The tragedy reflects the state of medical services in rural areas, where budget cuts, lack of doctors and indifference have pushed the dilapidated network of government hospitals and clinics further down the pit.

The infant from Chorakhari village in the Shahabad region of Baran could have been allegedly saved had there been an ambulance available at the closest community health centre, where he was taken.

The Shahabad hospital, around 25km from the village, has only two doctors and a dentist against a sanctioned strength of nine physicians.

The infant’s 30-year-old father, Rajeev Sahariya, a dailywage labourer, mother Sumantara and grandmother Konsabai walked all the way to reach the place. The baby had caught a cold and was coughing. Doctors later said it was pneumonia.

The outpatient department closed by the time the family reached the health centre in the afternoon and none of the doctors were available.

The desperate family went to the home of Ashok Meena, the centre’s medical officer, and got the baby checked. He prescribed some medicines and allegedly referred the patient to the bigger and better-equipped Baran district hospital.

Since the Shahabad hospital allegedly didn’t provide or arrange an ambulance, the family decided returning home to raise money to hire a cab to Baran.

They took a bus to Devri, a 15km walk from their home. On the way, baby Sunny died and his father and grandmother carried him on their shoulders for 6km until help arrived.

Baran-based social activist Feroz Khan alleged that the infant died because of medical negligence at Shahabad.

As the death triggered outrage in the region, block health officer Atalraj Mehta said he has sought an answer from doctor Meena.

The doctor explained that the family was advised to admit the pneumonia-stricken infant to the emergency ward of the Shahabad health centre to stabilise his condition before taking him to Baran, Mehta said.

But the family didn’t do that and left for their village without informing anyone in the clinic, the doctor allegedly told his superior. Mehta said the medical staff searched for the infant and his family but they were gone. “There are three 108 ambulances and two 104 ambulances stationed at the health centre,” he added.

DESPITE ECONOMIC GROWTH OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, MORE NEWBORNS DIE IN INDIA THAN IN POORER NEIGHBOURS SUCH AS BANGLADESH