Protest over deaths in hospital

MOTIHARI: Hundreds of people, including members of Congress, its students wing NSUI and Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) blocked the sadar hospital road with two dead bodies for almost two hours against alleged negligence by the doctors on Wednesday.
Police sources said Renu Kumari and Shambhu Ram died on Tuesday night in the hospital as the doctors were absent from duty. The doctors were called by paramedical staff on the phone, but they did not come, said a police source quoting the family members of Renu and Shambhu.

The hospital outpatient department was closed on Wednesday as the doctors left the hospital campus fearing the agitators, a source said.

Civil surgeon Dr Prashant Kumar said a three-member committee has been formed to probe the alleged negligence. "After getting the report, I will take action against the guilty doctors or staff members of the hospital," he said.

A hospital source said Renu was admitted on Tuesday night for delivery and there was no doctor to attend on her. The nurse on duty checked her and found her condition serious. "She called the doctor but she did not come to attend and Renu died," said a source.

The family members of Renu has lodged a case with the Town police station against the hospital.

Shambhu was running high fever and requested the doctor on Tuesday evening to admit him. But he was turned away. He was old and poor, so he slept on the hospital veranda where he died due to cold, a source said.

"The news spread early Wednesday morning and hundreds of persons led by political activists staged protest against alleged inhuman acts of doctors and hospital management," police said.

As the situation became tense, SHO Anand Kumar and SDM S Lal with police force reached the hospital and controlled the situation. "We will report the matter to the higher authorities for necessary action," the SDM said, adding the road blockade was removed.