Mumbai: Toddler dies after seven hospitals refuse to admit him

A toddler who got severe internal injuries was turned away by seven hospitals in Mumbai before breathing his last in Sion hospital. 

According to a Mid-Day report, the father of the child, a daily wage worker from Virar, has blamed the hospitals for refusing to admit his son. He says that the hospitals refused a bed to their son, Shahbas, by either saying they were unavailable or demanded a steep admission deposit from them. 

The state health department has said that it will probe the incident. It has also promised to start a centralised system which can help the patients in such situations.

The child had was seriously injured after a roadside cart fell on him when he was playing near it. 

"He was critical and yet seven hospitals refused to admit him. This delayed his treatment; he had severe internal bleeding. Even after finally admitting him in Sion hospital, the doctors there didn't take proper care of him," said his father, Shaitu. The child died five days in Sion hospital after sustaining the injury.

As per the Rajiv Gandhi health scheme the child should have been admitted. The health department will conduct an enquiry, especially against SevenHills and Holy Spirit hospitals, for demanding Rs 50,000-60,000 for admission. 

The Holy Spirit Hospital's Executive Director Sneha Joseph said they didn't admit the child as they had no ventilators. Dr Raj Karva, medical superintendent of SevenHills Hospital said the child's ailment did not make him eligible to avail  benefits of Rajiv Gandhi Yojana.