By IANS, Kolkata : Angry family members of a 10-month-old baby who died at a private city hospital Tuesday ransacked the hospital alleging medical negligence. Several people were injured as police resorted to baton charge to control the situation.
However, the hospital authorities, who refused to hand over the body till all dues were cleared, said the infant was suffering from fatal ailments since birth.
Gulam Mohammad, who was admitted to the Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) of Iqbalpur area in mid-March and was being fed through a pipe, died Tuesday morning at the hospital.
Angry relatives and neighbours of Gulam went on a rampage in the hospital and refused to pay the hospital bill of Rs.172,000. They alleged that the hospital authorities misbehaved with them and did not take adequate care of the ailing baby.
As the CMRI authorities declined to hand over the body till the dues were cleared, the mob went on a rampage inside the hospital compound and beat hospital staff.
CMRI CEO Rupak Barua said there was no laxity on the part of the hospital and the attending doctor was in constant touch.
The relatives lodged a written complaint with the Iqbalpore police station and West Bengal Health Department complaining negligence on the part of the hospital.
However, with the intervention of local administration a settlement was thrashed out later and the body was handed over without clearance of the dues, police said.