9-yr-old girl told to hold saline bottle for ailing father at Maharashtra hospital

Aurangabad: In a bizarre incident reported from Maharashtra, a nine-year-old girl had to hold a bottle of saline for around half an hour as the hospital where her ailing father was admitted allegedly ran out of IV fluid stands.

The apathy of the government hospital staff has clearly come to fore after a photograph of the girl holding the bottle with her hand raised has gone viral.

Eknath Gawali, 54, was brought to the ward after a surgery on Monday at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Aurangabad when the girl had to hold the bottle till her brother managed to find a stand.

"I was unconscious but I was told that my daughter had to hold the saline bottle as there was no stand available. My son ran around for half an hour before he managed to get a stand. All this while my daughter was in discomfort as she was on her toes holding the bottle," Gawali, a resident of Badji told news agency PTI.

Dr. Kanan Yedikar, dean of GMCH, confirmed the incident, but said it was just for a "few minutes".

"As there was no elder member of the patient's family around his bed, the saline bottle was handed over to the girl to hold. It was only a matter of few minutes and someone, during this time, took a photograph," Dr. Yedikar told PTI.

She, however, added that it was wrong to have handed the saline bottle to a minor.

"The staff at the ward was reprimanded and we will ensure that such things don't happen in the future," she said.

Masihuddin Siddiqui of the Siddiqui Foundation, which helps GMCH patients, said this incident shows their irresponsible attitude.

“There is a shortage of medicines, equipment and basic facilities at the GMCH,” he said.