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An internal inquiry later confirmed that the 108 ambulance service caused a delay of nearly three hours. Staff responsible for the lapse have been removed from duty
The child, Shivansh Joshi, son of an Army jawan posted along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. (Pic: Social Media)
A one-year-old boy died after being turned away or referred from five hospitals across four districts over six days in Uttarakhand, The Times of India reported. The child, Shivansh Joshi, son of an Army jawan posted along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, died on July 15 after battling for medical care across remote hill regions.
His tragic death has spotlighted the glaring gaps in healthcare infrastructure in the state’s remote areas, prompting Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to order a high-level investigation. In a post on X, CM Dhami said, “The news of the death of an innocent child in Bageshwar due to negligence in medical treatment is extremely painful and unfortunate.” He added that if negligence is found at any level, “the strictest action” will be taken.
Shivansh first fell ill on July 10 with vomiting and dehydration in Chidanga village, Chamoli district. His mother and grandmother walked 3 km through a forest to reach the nearest community health centre. However, the facility lacked paediatric care and referred them to Baijnath.
At Baijnath, the child received only basic first aid and an ultrasound, and was then referred to the district hospital in Bageshwar. According to TOI, Shivansh’s father, Dinesh Joshi, said doctors at Bageshwar barely examined his son and told the family to go to Almora. Joshi, speaking from Jammu and Kashmir, said the ambulance took hours to arrive and came only after he contacted the District Magistrate.
By the time Shivansh reached Bageshwar, his condition had worsened significantly. Chief Medical Officer Dr Kumar Aditya Tiwari said the child had continuous seizures, high fever, and suspected brain damage. Without an MRI or paediatric ICU, the hospital referred him again.
He was taken to Almora Medical College, which had a paediatric ICU, but doctors reportedly failed to stabilise him. He was finally shifted to Sushila Tiwari Hospital in Haldwani, where he died in the ICU on July 15.
An internal inquiry later confirmed that the 108 ambulance service caused a delay of nearly three hours. Staff responsible for the lapse have been removed from duty, and a report is being submitted to higher authorities.
Despite being moved from hospital to hospital, including facilities in Chamoli, Bageshwar, Almora, and Haldwani—Shivansh’s condition deteriorated rapidly. His death after being denied timely, adequate care across five hospitals has sparked outrage and renewed scrutiny over healthcare access in the state’s hilly regions.
Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ…Read More
Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ… Read More
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