In MP, boy dies 'at' hospital, family alleges no treatment offered

Jabalpur, Sep 2: An inquiry has been ordered by authorities after a family alleged that a five-year-old boy died due to lack of treatment at a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district.

A senior government official, however, claimed the child had been brought dead to the PHC. Rishi (5) died at the PHC in Bargi area, 35 km from here, on Wednesday morning as he received no treatment, claimed his uncle Pawan Kumar.

A video of a woman sitting on the ground with the boy in her lap, believed to have been shot in front of the health facility, also went viral. But MP Health Department's joint director Dr Sanjay Mishra told PTI that the boy was brought dead to the PHC around 10.30 am on Wednesday.

Dr Alok Shrivastava, who was on duty, examined the boy and declared him dead, he said. Rishi had sustained burn injuries 15 days ago and had developed severe infection in the right leg which apparently led to his death, the official said The doctor explained this to the boy's relatives and also asked if they wanted autopsy to be conducted but they declined, he said.

Later, some members of the family returned to the hospital and created a row over the boy's death, Mishra said. The district administration has asked the sub-divisional magistrate to probe the matter while the health department has also set up a team of three doctors headed by Dr D J Mohanty to prepare a report, he added.

MP Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja, meanwhile, tweeted that Madhya Pradesh's health minister Prabhuram Chouhary had gone underground as he was not available to speak on the issue nor was he resigning from his post. Congress will give a reward of Rs 1,100 to anyone who finds him, Saluja said.