A family demanding justice for the death of their 10-year-old daughter protested in front of Madhya Pradesh’s Collector’s office, claiming medical negligence of a district hospital doctor had caused the death of their child. The family said they were left with no choice after waiting almost three months for an action against the accused doctor.
The child initially received treatment at the district hospital, whose treatment was found to be inadequate and the condition worsened, the grieving family said. In absence of improvement, the family rushed her to Ahmedabad hospital for advanced treatment.
The doctors in Ahmedabad have reportedly told the family that the initial reports of the girl had already made it clear that her kidneys showed severe damage. But, they alleged that the doctor in charge at the district hospital ignored the findings, subjecting to a delay referral for critical treatment. Through treatment, the child has died in spite of specialists efforts that were put.
After her death, the family repeatedly had dealings with health department officials and the district administration, urging them to investigate and take action against the doctor. They said that they had made several complaints over the last three months but that nothing had been done to address the situation.
The family lost patience due to the time lag and decided to organise a sit-in protest outside the Collector’s office, and demand an appointment with Collector Preeti Yadav. A Deputy Collector came to dissuade them but they stood firm – they wouldn’t accept assurances, but only ones from the Collector.
The incident has brought back questions of the quality of healthcare in government hospitals and who is responsible if they’re found guilty of medical negligence. The family has called for a just investigation, tight action upon the doctor responsible and fairness towards the deceased daughter.