Hapur tragedy: Denied urgent care over Rs 20k advance payment, girl, 5, dies at pvt hospital; CMO promises probe, cops silent
MEERUT: A five-year-old girl died without treatment in a hospital in Hapur after staff there allegedly insisted on an advance payment of Rs 20,000. Her parents, Mohd Anwar and Mausami, had been working as labourers at the hospital for the past seven months and were living with their three children in a tin shed on the hospital premises.
"On Friday night, our daughter Amreen fell ill and began vomiting upon which we brought her to the hospital," Anwar said on Tuesday. "But instead of treating the child immediately, the hospital staff demanded Rs 20,000 in advance." He added that he and his wife pleaded for urgent care and assured staff they would arrange the money, but the latter refused and told them to take the patient to a govt hospital instead. "In the meantime, my daughter died there," Anwar said, breaking down.
Dr Sunil Kumar Tyagi, Hapur's CMO, said: "The matter has come to my notice, but no formal complaint has been received so far. However, we are issuing a notice to the private hospital and will investigate. If any wrongdoing is found, strict action will be taken."
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Anwar also alleged that Pilkhuwa police took no action despite speaking to him at the hospital. The hospital management has so far refrained from commenting and said only that a written statement will be submitted to the chief medical officer (CMO).
Amreen's body was taken to the family's native village in Bihar on Saturday.
This is not the first such incident in Hapur. Last week, two newborns died at the Sikhera Community Health Centre (CHC), allegedly due to a power outage and oxygen shortage. The families said power failed at the CHC, after which the staff referred the infants to the district hospital. However, ambulances took nearly an hour to arrive, and both babies were declared dead on arrival.
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