10-Month-Old Baby Dies During Cold-Cough Treatment In Hospital, Family Alleges Negligence

A 10-month-old baby died in India after receiving treatment for a cold and cough in a hospital, the police said Thursday.

The baby boy's family alleged the child died due to the negligence of the hospital staff and doctors. According to the local police, four doctors and three paramedical staff members of the private hospital in the state of Chhattisgarh have been charged with negligence.

Following the incident, the district health authority revoked the hospital's registration, and fined its management nearly $250, according to other officials.

"The registration of the hospital has been canceled and a fine of Rs 20,000 has been imposed on its management," a senior official said, Zee News reported, citing PTI.

According to local reports, the child – identified as Shivansh Verma – was admitted to the Siddhi Vinayak Hospital in Sirsa Gate on Oct. 17 for treatment, following a cold and cough. The child died on Oct. 31, while receiving care.

As the family protested, Durg Chief Medical and Health Officer J.P. Meshram formed a team of health officials to investigate the incident, according to Jagran reported [Google Translate showed].

"The investigation by the health officials found that Drs. Samit Raj Prasad, Durga Soni, Hariram Yadu, and Girish Sahu, as well as three paramedical staff members named Vibha Sahu, Aarti Sahu, and Nirmala Yadav of Siddhi Vinayak Hospital, were negligent," Meshram said, according to reports.

The seven people were booked under Indian Penal Code section 304A (causing death by negligence). No arrests have been made so far. It also remains unclear what exactly caused the child's death.

In a similar incident, a 29-year-old woman died Tuesday hours after receiving an injection from a registered medical practitioner for the treatment of her cold and cough. The woman went to the medical practitioner, who gave her an injection instead of tablets. The following day, the woman started vomiting and fell unconscious. The victim's family members took Swarnalatha's body to the doctor's house and protested outside demanding answers for the negligence. The type of injection used by the doctor was not known. The victim's husband then filed a police complaint against the doctor, who has been absconding since the woman's death. The charges placed against the doctor remain unknown.