Tension erupted at the Jajpur District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Odisha on Monday following the death of a one-year-old boy, allegedly due to negligence and procedural delays.
According to police, the child’s death led to a heated altercation between the grieving family and hospital staff, prompting law enforcement to intervene.
We lost precious time: Child’s father
The boy, who was suffering from a high fever, was brought to the hospital from Kacherigaon village under Jajpur Sadar police station limits. His father, Narayan Mallick, alleged that they were made to shuttle between departments for nearly an hour, losing critical time as no attending doctor was available.
“I took my child to the doctor’s cabin, but the attendant redirected me to another department. There too, the doctor was absent, and the staff sent me back. This back-and-forth continued, and we lost precious time,” Mallick claimed. He further alleged that he was not allowed to take his son to a private hospital without signing certain papers.
Scuffle between hospital staff and family follows
Eventually, the child was declared dead by Dr. Manoj Senapati, who stated that the baby was already unresponsive upon arrival. “There were no vital signs when we examined the baby. I was called by the casualty department to assess and attempt resuscitation, but unfortunately, it was too late,” Senapati said. He also explained that the hospital required a guardian’s signature before officially releasing the body, as per protocol.
The situation escalated when hospital staff requested paperwork before handing over the body, leading to a scuffle as the family refused, demanding immediate release of the child’s remains.
While no formal complaint has been filed, Jajpur police confirmed that they are looking into the matter and have brought the situation under control.
