Family protests after 9-year-old dies during treatment at Bhubaneswar Hospital

Bhubaneswar: Allegations of Medical negligence triggered tension near Shishu Bhawan Square in Bhubaneswar on Friday after the family of a nine-year-old boy, who died during treatment at a private hospital, staged a road blockade demanding strict action against the hospital authorities.

According to the family, the child, a resident of Samantarapur, was admitted to the hospital on Thursday after suffering from severe headache and vomiting. They alleged that his condition worsened during treatment, after which he was placed on ventilator support.

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The family further alleged that doctors later informed them that the child had been brain dead for the past two days. On Friday morning, the hospital declared the minor dead.

The grieving family accused the hospital of negligence and demanded action against the attending doctor and the management. They also alleged that the hospital initially refused to issue a death certificate, stating that the child had not been declared clinically dead.

The hospital administration, however, refuted the allegations. Speaking to TOI, a doctor associated with the treatment said, “The child was brought to the hospital in a brain-dead condition. We attended to him as per protocol. The family initially wanted to shift him to another facility. Later, some individuals entered the premises, misbehaved with our medical staff and demanded a death certificate".

Following the allegations, family members staged a protest outside the medical facility, blocking the road and disrupting traffic movement in the area. The road blockade led to significant traffic congestion around Shishu Bhawan Square, with commuters facing inconvenience for several hours, reports Pramaya News.

Police personnel reached the spot and attempted to pacify the protesters while taking steps to restore normal traffic flow.

Police said the body was subsequently sent to Capital Hospital for postmortem. The officials added that the family members had been pacified and necessary legal procedures had been facilitated. Further action would be taken based on the postmortem findings and any complaint received.

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