Bhubaneswar: A day after a five-year-old ailing boy died on the way to a private healthcare facility in Patia area here, a rights activist Wednesday approached the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) seeking a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and justice to the bereaved family.
In his petition, rights activist Pradipta Nayak informed the commission that Neel Nitish Nayak, son of Nirod Nayak and a resident in Old Town area here, died midway to a private hospital in Patia area Tuesday afternoon. Multiple factors, including poor paediatric care at Capital Hospital and traffic snarl on the busy Nandankanan Road, attributed to the kid’s death, Nayak alleged.
“The ailing kid was kept at Capital Hospital for around 24 hours before being referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. The hospital authorities could not arrange for ICU/SNCU facility for the boy, who was in critical condition was in dire need for it. The victim’s father had to wait in a serpentine queue to avail medicines from Niramaya counter,” the petitioner said adding that Neel’s condition deteriorated as Nirod waited at the Niramaya counter.
Although Capital Hospital doctors referred Neel to SCB, his parents decided to take him to the private healthcare facility in Patia in a bid to ‘save the precious time’. Negotiating the traffic snarl, it took around one and a-half-hour for the ambulance to cover 13-odd kms to reach Patia. Neel, however, breathed his last midway, Nayak said quoting Nirod.
The never-ending excavation work and street vendors have narrowed down the road, further worsening the traffic snarl on the busy Nandankanan Road.
Nayak urged the commission to direct the Health Secretary, Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Traffic DCP and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation commissioner to inquire into the issue and furnish replies within a week. Besides, the rights activist has also requested the rights body to direct the Traffic DCP, Commissionerate Police and authorities of the Smart City to keep street vendors off the roads so as to allow free movement of traffic.
Nayak also urged the OHRC to direct authorities for providing Rs 10 lakh by way of compensation to the kid’s family.
