The hospital management admitted the incident, but said that it was just for a "few minutes".
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. A photograph of the girl holding the bottle with her hand raised has since 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," Mr Gawali, a resident of Badji told news agency Press Trust of India.
Dr Kanan Yedikar, dean of GMCH, confirmed the incident, but said that 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.
A few months ago, doctors at a state-run medical college in Uttar Pradesh had amputated the leg of an accident victim and used it as a headrest to prop him up as a pillow was not available. It was only after his family bought a pillow and brought it to the hospital that the severed leg was removed.
After the photographs of the hospital's apathy went viral, action was taken against the erring medical staff. The National Human Rights Commission also sent notices to the UP government and the union health ministry over the incident.
(With inputs from PTI)