Health dept informs CM deceased family did not contact for help

DAINIK NATION BUREAU

Following on the direction of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who had asked the Secretary Health Nitesh Kumar Jha to submit a report in media reports that a person carried his brother dead body over his shoulder because of unavailability of stretcher and vehicle. Jha has called for an explanation from Medical Superintendent (MS).

The medical Superintendent has informed that the family member of the deceased did not ask for a stretcher but negotiated with private ambulance operators. They did not contact the hospital superintendent for availability of ambulance.

The MS also informed that had the family member contacted him, he would have ensured a stretcher and an ambulance for them. Patient ambulances are not being used for carrying body since there is danger of infection spreading in other patients. Ambulances to carry dead are not available in the hospital and tender process to procure such vehicles is in progress.

Considering the clarification given by Medical Superintendent as not sufficient, the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has directed the Director General Health to submit a complete report in this regard within a week. He said that humanity and human sensitivity must be on the foremost priority in all circumstances. The incident which had happened in Doon Hospital on Thursday is not acceptable under any circumstances. In case there is any shortcoming in the system, it must be rectified. He also directed the DG Health in order to ensure that such incident must not happen again in any hospital of the state, all the concerned officers should be alerted.