‘Made to wait in ambulance for hours': Rape victim, a minor, dies at Patna govt hospital, family says admitted too late

Indian Express

2 days ago

A minor girl, who was raped on May 26 and succumbed to her injuries Sunday morning at the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), had to wait in an ambulance for hours before being admitted to the hospital, her family alleged. PMCH authorities denied the allegations and said the hospital administration acted swiftly after the case came to their notice.
'When we arrived at PMCH on Saturday (from another hospital), the emergency department staff said there was no space and directed us to other wards. We were sent to the paediatric department after being turned away from two-three wards. She was in the ambulance for hours. It was after some politicians intervened that she was finally admitted at around 5 pm on Saturday, and passed away this morning,' the girl's uncle said Sunday.
On Saturday afternoon, Congress workers, led by the party's Bihar president Rajesh Ram, showed up at PMCH while the girl was waiting in the ambulance. On Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a post on social media, 'The brutality against a minor Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur and the subsequent negligence in her treatment is extremely shameful. If she had received timely treatment, her life could have been saved. But the double-engine government was negligent not only in providing security but also in saving her life. We will not sit quietly until the victim's family gets justice. Strict action should be taken against the culprits and negligent officers.'
PMCH Medical Superintendent Dr Indrashekhar Thakur said there was no negligence on the part of the hospital administration. He said she had been brought to the central emergency unit of PMCH in an ambulance from a Muzaffarpur hospital at 1.23 pm Saturday, after which doctors advised that she be taken to the ENT department.
'I was on leave, but the acting superintendent was informed and immediately called the patient to the ENT department. Meanwhile, Congress workers arrived, leading to a crowd outside ENT. Our doctors examined her in the advanced life support ambulance itself, which was equipped with the necessary facilities. Besides an injury to her throat, she also had chest injuries and other injuries and had been sexually assaulted. So, by 3.43 pm, a quick decision was made to admit her to the gynaecology department, as ENT currently lacks an ICU facility,' he said.
'Allegations that PMCH neglected her for four hours or nine hours are baseless. As soon as the administration was informed, every effort was made to treat her… Despite the best efforts of all doctors, she passed away around 8.15 am on Sunday,' Thakur said.
According to police, the girl was assaulted on May 26 in Muzaffarpur district. The accused, Rohit Kumar Sahni (30), allegedly lured her away from her home at around 11 am with the 'promise of Kurkure and chocolate'.
Police alleged that he took her to an isolated spot near a pond, raped her, slit her throat and stabbed her with a knife. She was found lying near the pond at around 7 pm that evening.
Muzaffarpur Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Vidya Sagar said the accused was arrested the same night.
'The victim had suffered multiple injuries on her body. Due to the cut on her throat, she couldn't speak, but narrated the ordeal to her relatives using signals. During the preliminary investigation, we learned that the accused has a history of such behaviour and a habitual tendency to harass girls. Two days before this incident, he attempted to assault another girl, but it was not reported to the police. We also found that he made social media reels to attract young girls,' the officer said.
The girl's mother, a widow, said the accused had taken the girl away after he came to the house to sell fish. 'I was unwell and didn't notice. When I woke up and looked for her, she was nowhere to be found. Later, someone told me he had taken her on his bicycle at around 11 am,' she said, adding that the accused frequented their village to sell fish. She was informed by the village head that her daughter was lying near a pond, after which she rushed to the spot with the police.
Another relative said the girl was found at around 7 pm after the family and villagers made desperate attempts to locate her.
She was initially treated at SKMCH in Muzaffarpur for five days before being referred to PMCH on Saturday.