Video Of Patient With IV Drip Walking In Madhya Pradesh Market Goes Viral

A man with an IV drip infused in his arm and a saline bottle hanging in his hand was found wandering in a market in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, raising concerns over rural healthcare.

The incident, a video of which has gone viral, came to light days after a newborn was stolen from the district hospital. 

The video shows the patient walking through the market in Sirsaud village. Locals claimed the patient was treated by a quack doctor, who inserted the drip and left him unattended. 

As the video sparked an outrage among residents, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Sanjay Risheshwar said an investigation has been launched into the matter.

"It wouldn't be appropriate to comment without a proper inquiry. If it's proven that the patient was left on a drip like this, it will be treated as serious negligence," he said.

Dr Risheshwar added that if the patient was being treated in a private clinic, strict action would be taken against those responsible.

This is not an isolated incident. Shivpuri district has seen a string of such cases - from infants going missing to fake doctors running services unchecked - exposing how weak the system has become. 

The continuing emergence of such incidents reflects a much deeper structural failure in Madhya Pradesh's public health network.

Official data shows Madhya Pradesh has only one doctor for every 1,460 people, far below the national average. The state, with a population of 7.26 crore, should have nearly 89,000 doctors, but there are just 49,730 available, including both government and private practitioners.

The situation is worse in rural areas. As per the Rural Health Statistics report, Madhya Pradesh suffers a 94% shortfall of medical specialists, one of the highest in India.