13-Year-Old Burn Victim Dies, Madhya Pradesh Hospital Report Points To 2-Hour Delay

As the Chhindwara toxic cough syrup tragedy continues to expose cracks in Madhya Pradesh's public health system, another story of medical negligence has emerged from the state, this time from Rewa's Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital.

A 13-year-old child, struck by lightning in Mahoba, fought for his life not just against severe burns, but against a medical system that made his family wander through the hospital corridors, clutching his IV drip in their hands.

Manish Sahu was initially admitted to the Panna District Hospital on August 30. After showing some improvement his condition suddenly worsened.

He was then referred in critical condition to the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, one of the state's largest government medical institutions.

Manish's family arrived at the hospital for urgent help. Instead, they were allegedly turned away, redirected from one ward to another.

From the burn unit to the emergency ward and then to ward number seven, they pleaded for admission while holding the boy's stretcher and his drip bottle.

It took more than two hours for the hospital to begin treatment. As hospital staff looked away, Manish's elderly grandmother stood for hours, holding the child's IV drip bottle upright with trembling hands.

Manish survived for nearly a month before dying from his injuries.

The hospital's internal report confirmed that Manish's treatment was delayed by over two hours due to "lack of coordination" between departments. However, hospital authorities continue to deflect blame.

Dr Rahul Mishra, Superintendent of Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, said, "We see patients like this every day. Sometimes they come with drips or other equipment already attached. It takes time to bring them to the right place in a large hospital. We provide full treatment capacity."

Dr Bajaj, Head of the Pediatrics Department, added, "The boy was struck by lightning and suffered deep burns. He was treated in our department for two days, but his condition was extremely critical. Despite all efforts, we could not save him."