Father Carries 18-Month-Old Baby In Arms With Oxygen Support In Niloufer Hospital, Video Goes Viral

Hyderabad: A shocking video of a father carrying his baby in his arms on oxygen support for not having a stretcher at a state-run hospital here has created a buzz.

The baby girl is said to be around 18 months and is seen in a semi-conscious state who was being taken to the ESROP room. The sordid incident took place at the Niloufer Hospital on Thursday. However, the authorities denied the reports attributing the incident to the lack of stretchers at the hospital.

According to Niloufer Hospital Superintendent Dr K. Ramesh Reddy, the girl was admitted to the hospital for respiratory problem and was being shifted to another building in the premises for taking x-ray. She was in the arms of her father while the oxygen cylinder was being carried by an employee who is working on the contractual basis at the hospital.

"The media reports projecting non-availability of stretchers at the hospital are absolutely wrong. We have enough number of stretchers. Wherever there are patients next to the wards, we have adequate number of stretchers and wheel chairs," Reddy said.

He termed "wrong" the media reports stating that both the persons (in the video), along with the baby, are attendants of the patient.

"The person (ward boy) carrying an oxygen cylinder is a contract employee while the person holding the baby in his arms is her parent. The ward boy was supposed to make the parent sit in a wheel chair along the baby, but without the notice of the sister (nurse) and doctors the baby was shifted to another block of the hospital," Reddy said.

Niloufer Hospital Superintendent Dr K. Ramesh Reddy

The media reports projecting non-availability of stretchers at the hospital are absolutely wrong. We have enough number of stretchers. Wherever there are patients next to the wards, we have adequate number of stretchers and wheel chair

He said that following the media reports, he called and questioned the ward boy and terminated his services on Friday.

"It was found that the ward boy had erred. We have asked for removal of his services," Reddy said, adding that care will be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

"Stretchers with oxygen facilities are also available in the hospital and in the case of patients who are one or two-year-old children, then mother be made to sit in wheel chair and baby in her lap while moving from one block to another building," the superintendent added.