Dog-bite victim denied admission, left on floor in government hospital premises

Durai, who lives alone in Triplicane, said he received first aid but was denied admission because he did not have an attender, adding his pleas for proper care fell on deaf ears.

Durai (68) said he received first aid but was denied admission at the Royapettah Government Hospital because he did not have an attender (Photo | R Satish Babu, EPS)

CHENNAI: Scenes of patients lying on the floor in government hospitals are nothing new. One such incident was witnessed by a TNIE photojournalist at the Royapettah Government Hospital on Friday. Based on a tip-off from a source, the photojournalist rushed to the hospital and found Durai (68) lying on the floor near a bathroom on the premises.

When asked how he ended up there, Durai broke down and said he had presented to the hospital on Wednesday evening to get treated for a dog bite. Upon closer inspection, the photojournalist realised that the deep wound on his left leg was not fresh and was probably infested. Other people in the premises gathered around on hearing his cries.

Durai, who lives alone in Triplicane, said he received first aid but was denied admission because he did not have an attender, adding his pleas for proper care fell on deaf ears and he had been lying near the toilet ever since. On seeing the large crowd, a lady police official arrived on the scene and enquired about what was going on.

After seeing the large crowd, a nurse informed the hospital staff about the situation. Later, they shifted Durai to the casualty in a wheelchair and his wound was cleaned and dressed. The staff then promised the policewoman that Durai would be taken care of. While a senior official said he was not aware of the incident, another did not respond to calls from TNIE.