HYDERABAD: A four-year-old boy, who was being treated for a lung disease at Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad, died after being denied oxygen by a ward boy in the ICU as his parents refused to pay the latter a bribe of Rs 100. The boy, Mohammad Khaja from Erragadda, was suffering from pneumonia and was shifted to Niloufer Hospital from a private hospital three days ago. The incident occurred on Saturday, but it came to light only on Sunday.
Mohammed Azam, the deceased child’s father, said, “He (Khaja) was in dire need of oxygen. Ward boy Subhash demanded Rs 100 from us to connect the supply lines to his bed. When we refused to pay him, he just walked out of the ward.” Minutes after he was denied oxygen, Khaja breathed his last. His family staged a protest at the hospital decrying corruption.When contacted, Superintendent of Niloufer Hospital Dr V Muralikrishna said that the ward boy, an outsourced employee, was suspended after the incident.