Ayodhya shocker: Govt hospital denies admission; 12-year-old dies in father’s arms, doctors suspended

AYODHYA: In a horrific incident, a man was turned away from a government hospital's emergency room with his critically ill son by the doctor on duty who cited lack of beds and oxygen and referred him elsewhere without arranging transport. The desperate father had to carry his 12-year-old son on his shoulder to a private hospital, where the boy was declared dead upon arrival. The incident occurred on Monday at Ayodhya's Rajarshi Dashrath government medical college.On Tuesday, medical college Principal Satyajeet Varma placed three doctors responsible for this under suspension for a week and ordered an inquiry into the incident."This is a major negligence issue, despite the deployment of two more doctors (in the emergency ward). I observed similar negligence during my rounds and personally treated those children. The hospital has ample beds and oxygen. Strict action will be taken against the responsible doctors," he said.Varma said, "We are facing a heavy load of patients, but we are working hard to give relief to all of them."Mohammad Munir, a resident of Haringtonganj village in Ayodhya, took his son Mohammad Arif, who had been under high fever for two days, to a nearby unqualified practitioner. As the cough and fever worsened, Munir took his son to the community health centre near his village. The doctor there referred him to the medical college. "The boy's condition was critical, requiring immediate care, but the emergency room refused admission, citing unavailability of beds and oxygen," said Meraj Ahmad, a close relative. "The doctor on duty merely completed the referral formality without suggesting any alternative arrangements. Facing financial constraints, Munir was forced to carry his son to a private hospital on his shoulders, but by the time he arrived there, the boy had died," he said.