72-Year-Old Grandmother Holds Drip Bottle For 30 Minutes At Madhya Pradesh Hospital

A 72-year-old woman was forced to hold a drip bottle for nearly half an hour for her injured grandson at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Satna, after hospital staff failed to provide a drip stand.

The incident took place on Friday when the patient, 35-year-old Ashwani Mishra, was brought in from Maihar following a road accident. Despite his critical condition, no drip stand was made available, and his grandmother had to hold the bottle in her hands while hospital staff looked on as silent spectators. 

Eyewitnesses confirmed that there was no shortage of drip stands in the hospital and blamed staff indifference for the ordeal.

The sight of the elderly woman, trembling but determined to keep the drip flowing for her grandson, left those present shaken and furious.

The situation was made worse by the condition of the ambulance that brought Mishra. After dropping him at the hospital gate, the vehicle broke down and had to be pushed away by bystanders to get it running again.

This incident is the latest in a series of complaints about the hospital's inadequate infrastructure. The hospital, which handles hundreds of patients daily, has repeatedly faced criticism for failing to provide even basic facilities, stretchers, beds, and timely assistance.

Civil Surgeon Manoj Shukla downplayed the incident, stating, "There is no shortage of stands. The patient was brought in an ambulance, and within 5-7 minutes treatment was provided. The grandmother herself picked up the drip, but the patient has been treated properly."