INDIA: Four-Year-Old Girl Was Raped And Brutalized By Landlord; The Child Was Turned Away By Government Hospital >:/

Hindustan Times

UP: minor raped by landlord; turned out by hospital

written by Staff

Sunday May 12, 2013

At a tender age of four, Rani (name changed) has been raped, brutalized and then faced the cruelty of a few guardians of good health called doctors. She is now battling for her life.

Rani’s sordid tale began on May 1 when 40-year-old Munna, the landlord of her Kydganj house, brutally raped her. The criminal did not stop at that. He also attacked and bit the chest of her two-and-half year old sister Preeti (name changed). The assault took place when Rani’s parents were toiling it out as labourers to earn a living.

Munna was later arrested and sent to jail but Rani's ordeal continued.

The victim, who was admitted to the government-run Dufferin Women’s Hospital in Allahabad after the incident, was allegedly turned away by the hospital on May 7 by doctors, who told her parents “that her treatment was not possible there and she should be taken to a private hospital.”

Being at home after that with no treatment, Rani has developed swelling in her stomach and her condition is said to be critical. Her parents ran from pillar to post to get proper treatment for her but to no avail.

On Saturday, however, some solace came when Parivartan, a non-government organization (NGO) gheraoed the chief medical officer (CMO) and apprised him of the inhuman treatment meted out to the victim by doctors of Dufferin hospital.

Monu Gupta, state president of the NGO, said, “If the hospital does not have facilities to treat such critically ill patients it should improve its infrastructure. Parents of the kid cannot afford treatment at a private hospital.”

The NGO even threatened the CMO with locking his office from Sunday onwards if the kid was not provided proper treatment.

Later CMO, Allahabad Dr Padmaker Singh said the incident was brought to his notice by the NGO after which he had directed the superintendent of Dufferin hospital to admit the victim and keep her under observation.

The CMO also assured action against the guilty staffers who turned out the girl from the hospital. Late on Saturday the child was re-admitted to the hospital.