‘Delay’ in treating Pune girl suffering from burns

The Pune Municipal Corporation’s standing committee has directed the civic administration to probe why two city hospitals allegedly refused to treat a burn victim of a fire that broke out late on May 5 at Burud Ali, in Ganesh Peth. 

Six members of a family, including two girls, were killed. While five died on the spot, 2-year-old Shrutika succumbed in Surya Hospital a day later.  

The standing committee chairman, Dipak Bidkar, said the additional municipal commissioner Naresh Zurmure has been asked to probe the matter and submit a report in a week. 
He said a probe would also take place into whether the firemen were late.  

According a fireman, Bharat Pawar, initially the girl was taken on a motorbike to a clinic. “From there I went to KEM Hospital. But the authorities told us that there is no ICU for burn patients. I took an ambulance  and took her to Surya Hospital, where the doctors administered first aid and demanded money for further treatment. I called police control and requested them to ask Surya Hospital to admit the patient,” Pawar claimed.  The victim died the next day in Surya Hospital. 

When contacted, chief medical administrator of KEM Hospital, Dr V Yemul, said the hospital did not have a burns unit and hence could not treat the patient.  “Our doctors recommended she be taken to Surya Hospital due to her percentage of burn injuries,” he added. 

The medical administrator of Surya Hospital, Mahesh Kulkarni, said he would react only after checking with the hospital staff.