Medical negligence alleged after 11-year-old boy dies at Calcutta Medical College Hospital

Kolkata: The family of an 11-year-old boy who died within 90 minutes of being admitted to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital on Sunday has alleged medical negligence. The family accused the hospital staff of administering an incorrect injection, prompting the authorities to promise an investigation into the complaint.

According to reports, the boy, a Class IV student from Andul, was brought to the hospital’s Mother and Child Hub around 10 am after complaining of abdominal pain. His family claimed that he was able to walk into the hospital but was declared dead around 11.30 am.

Also Read:Nagpur Hospital faces negligence allegations after stillborn baby delivered

The boy’s death triggered tension on the hospital campus in the afternoon, with his relatives confronting police and security personnel. A scuffle reportedly broke out during which some relatives allegedly attempted to attack police officers with helmets. Police chased the agitated relatives and detained several of them before taking them away in a police van.

The family also claimed that the child had been treated by junior doctors and questioned why senior physicians were not available. They also disputed the hospital’s account of the number of injections administered to him.

“We saw three injections being administered, but they are claiming that only two were given,” a relative alleged.

Calcutta Medical College principal Indranil Biswas said the boy had been brought to the paediatric department with abdominal pain and was administered an injection to relieve it. He added that doctors attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after the child suddenly suffered cardiac arrest but were unable to revive him.

The child’s father, who was at home in Andul when the incident occurred, alleged that his son had died after receiving the wrong injection. “There were no senior doctors present—only junior doctors. They have murdered my child,” he said.

According to the Statesman, “The family of the deceased has lodged a complaint alleging that the wrong injection was administered. We will investigate this claim,” a hospital official said. The incident has also brought the availability of doctors at government hospitals on Sundays and holidays under scrutiny.

The incident has also renewed questions about the availability of doctors at government hospitals on Sundays and public holidays.

The issue was reportedly discussed recently at Swasthya Bhavan, with Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee directing hospitals on Friday to ensure adequate doctors’ presence even on holidays.

The family has demanded a thorough investigation by the Health Department into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death. The child’s mother, meanwhile, has expressed opposition to a post-mortem examination, pleading with authorities not to cut open her son’s body, reports the Statesman.

Also Read:23-year-old dies hours after admission to Tambaram Hospital; family alleges negligence