The Beed district health administration has relieved the medical officer in charge of a Primary Health Centre after a family was allegedly made to leave a government ambulance because it could not pay for diesel while transferring a sick girl to another hospital.
The incident took place at the Dindrud Primary Health Centre in Majalgaon taluka and came to light after a video of the episode circulated on social media. The health department has also sought disciplinary action against Dr Nilesh Narayan Dhakne under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979.
Seema Solanki, a Class 6 student, suddenly fainted at around 2.45 pm on September 29, according to Manohar Katare, principal of the Zilla Parishad primary girls’ school in Dindrud. Katare said he called a local doctor and, along with his colleagues, took the girl to the Dindrud PHC.
Seema became stable after some time, but the medical officer advised the family to take her to Ambajogai hospital for further treatment. The PHC was then under the charge of Dr Dhakne.
The family’s difficulty began when the girl was being shifted to the other hospital. The video shows her father carrying her on his shoulder towards the ambulance. According to the report and a press note issued by the Zilla Parishad health department, PHC staff allegedly demanded money for diesel and made the family get off the vehicle when they could not pay.
A woman heard in the video appears to plead for help, saying she had no money for diesel and was responsible for four children. A hospital staff member is then heard making a remark about the family’s ability to feed or care for its children. The exchange has drawn widespread criticism.
The girl’s uncle, Mahadev Solanki, told The Indian Express that Seema’s father, Keshav Kisan Solanki, works in construction. He said Keshav has two daughters and two sons and that the children’s grandmother has been caring for them since their mother died six years ago.
Beed District Health Officer Dr Ulhas Gandal said the department had found a prima facie case of dereliction of duty against Dr Dhakne. A proposal seeking action has been sent to the Commissioner of Health Services in Mumbai through the Deputy Director of Health Services, Latur Circle.
Dr Dhakne has been relieved of his charge as Medical Officer of the Dindrud PHC and temporarily shifted to the DHO office, Gandal said. The administrative action follows the district health department’s preliminary assessment of the incident.
Asked whether any outstanding ambulance payments could have led to the alleged demand for diesel money, Gandal said regular monthly payments were being made. He added that the ambulance had been provided with a fuel card and that fuel mapping had also been carried out. The disciplinary proposal and the temporary reassignment are the next formal steps announced by the health administration.
