Girl holds saline bottle by father's bedside at Maha hospital

A 9-year-old girl had to hold a bottle of saline, that was being intravenously administered to her father, for around half an hour as the hospital was allegedly running short of IV fluid stands.

A photograph of the girl, holding the bottle with her hand raised, while on her toes, had gone viral on social media a couple of days ago.

The incident happened on Monday in ward 19 of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here moments after Eknath Gawali (54) was brought to the ward from the operation theatre after a surgery.

"I was unconscious but I was told that my daughter had to hold the saline bottle in her hand as there was no stand available to hang it. My son ran around for half an hour and then managed to get a stand. All this while my daughter was in discomfort as she was on her toes holding the bottle," Gawali, a resident of Badji in the district's Khuldabad tehsil, said.

Speaking to PTI, Dr Kanan Yedikar, dean of GMCH, confirmed the incident but said that it was just a "matter of a few minutes".

"As there was no elder member of the patient's family around his bed, the saline bottle was handed over to the girl to hold. It was only a matter of few minutes and someone, during this time, took a photograph," Dr Yedikar said.

She, however, added that it was improper on the part of the hospital staff to have handed the saline bottle to a minor.

"The staff at the ward would be reprimanded and we will ensure that, henceforth, such things do not happen," she said.

Masihuddin Siddiqui of the Siddiqui Foundation, which works among GMCH patients and highlights their woes, criticised the authorities.

"This incident shows their irresponsible attitude. There is a shortage of medicines. stands and other such facilities at the GMCH. If these issues are looked into, it will he helpful for the patients," he said.