Boy dies in UP after hospital refuses ambulance

A critically ill boy died after he was allegedly refused an ambulance by the state-run district hospital here.

A probe by the city magistrate has found the hospital guilty of lapses in the death of the child on Sunday night.

Afroz, 9, was brought to the district hospital in Shahjahanpur with complaints of high fever and was referred to Lucknow for specialised treatment.

His parents said they had approached the hospital for an ambulance to ferry Afroz to the state capital, but the authorities did not agree to their request.

Afroz's mother said they had given him some medicines for fever but his condition worsened, and they got him admitted at the Shahjahanpur district hospital.

"The doctors told us to go somewhere else, saying there were no facilities available in this hospital," she said.

The boy's father said, "We requested the ambulance driver and other staff to take all the money we have, but they refused.

He said three ambulances were parked at the hospital at the time.

The couple then began walking home, carrying the child. Afroz died on the way home.

District Magistrate Amrit Tripathi Tuesday visited the hospital and ordered a probe.

"After the incident came to my notice, the city magistrate was asked to probe incident," he said.

The probe found the hospital guilty, he said.

"The hospital administration could not provide any evidence that ambulance or hearse vehicle was not present there. The report of the entire incident has been sent to the state government," Tripathi said.