Man, woman made to share stretcher in hospital; probe ordered

A male and a female patient, unknown to each other, were forced to share a stretcher while being taken to the X-ray room at the government-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) here.

After a purported video of the incident went viral on social media, the MYH administration Thursday ordered an inquiry and issued notices to staffers.

It was not clear when the incident took place.

In the video, both the patients, not known to each other, look uncomfortable after they are made to share the stretcher by hospital authorities.

MYH Superintendent P S Thakur told PTI, "We have taken cognisance of the video and constituted an inquiry committee. We have sought replies from the nurse, ward boy and junior doctor associated with the entire episode.

He promised appropriate action in the matter.

"There is no shortage of stretchers in our hospital. We will take appropriate action after inquiring under what circumstances a woman and a male patient were taken on one stretcher for X-ray investigation.

The video shows a bed with wheels being used as a stretcher.

In the video, an unidentified woman was heard asking both the patients whether they belong to the same family.

To this, the female patient replied in the negative and said, "We were told (to share one bed-cum-stretcher) by the doctor."