Father takes injured son to third floor on scooter in Kota hospital amid wheelchair shortage
New Delhi : In a distressing incident, a father was compelled to transport his son, who had suffered a fractured leg, from the ground floor to the third floor of a hospital on a scooter. The incident took place in Kota, where hospital officials later revealed a scarcity of wheelchairs as the reason behind the ordeal.
The man recounted that he had taken his son to the hospital to have his fractured leg plastered. However, due to the unavailability of wheelchairs or stretchers, he claimed to have sought permission from the hospital administration to bring a scooter inside the premises as an alternative means of transportation to the third floor. The father was captured on camera riding the scooter in an elevator, with his son seated behind him with a plastered foot.
Identified as Manoj Jain, the father expressed that his son had sustained a minor fracture and had been taken to the orthopedic ward for treatment. Recounting the incident, he shared, "My son's foot was plastered in the orthopedic ward. However, he was unable to walk. We required a wheelchair or stretcher. Despite spending 10 to 15 minutes requesting the staff for assistance, they informed us that there was a shortage of such equipment."
Desperate for a solution, Jain sought permission to bring his electric scooter inside the hospital premises. Granted permission, he proceeded to transport his son using the scooter, utilizing the hospital elevator. However, as they were about to exit, they were stopped by a hospital official.
The incident triggered outrage upon its exposure, prompting the intervention of the police at the scene, who supported the father's actions. A police official stated, "What you have done, sir, is right. If there is a lack of facilities in the hospital, no one will rely on God for their patients. They will provide facilities to their relatives through whatever means they have. Since there was no wheelchair inside the hospital, the helpless father had to take his child outside on a scooter after the plaster was applied."
In response to the incident, hospital authorities cited a shortage of wheelchairs as the underlying cause and assured that necessary arrangements would be made soon. The administration explained that a proposal for wheelchairs, previously submitted by the hospital, was canceled by higher authorities.
Hospital administrators and doctors, however, denied giving permission for the scooter to be brought inside the premises, further complicating the situation and raising concerns about the lack of coordination within the hospital.
The incident has drawn attention to the pressing need for adequate medical facilities and the importance of ensuring that patients receive proper care and support, even in times of equipment shortages.
