2-month-old dies due to lack of bed and alleged negligence at Murshidabad Medical College

A two-month-old infant from Parbatpur in Berhampore, West Bengal, passed away on Saturday night at Murshidabad Medical College Hospital. The parents allege that the child died due to a lack of bed availability and delays in medical attention. The incident occurred less than a week after a similar case at Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital, where an elderly patient reportedly died due to the unavailability of a bed.

The child’s family arrived at Murshidabad Medical College on Saturday around noon, seeking immediate treatment. According to the family, they were informed by hospital staff that there were no beds available, requiring them to hold the child while providing oxygen manually. Despite repeated requests, the parents claim the medical staff did not attend to the child’s worsening condition. They report that doctors were delayed in responding, and the child was not provided with a bed.

The child’s grandfather stated, “We admitted her at 12 noon and told the nurses and doctors that her face and eyes were swollen, but they didn’t check on her.” He further alleged that it took more than 30 minutes before oxygen was administered to the child, and even then, they had to continue holding her in their arms. He also reported that a junior doctor attempted multiple injections but appeared uncertain, with the child’s condition continuing to worsen.

At approximately 8 p.m., the family states that the child passed away in the hospital. The family has raised questions about the hospital’s ability to manage critical cases and provide necessary resources, especially as they witnessed multiple patients sharing beds due to a reported shortage. This incident comes shortly after another death allegedly linked to lack of resources in a government hospital, highlighting concerns raised by families over bed shortages and medical attention in state healthcare facilities.