Shubhanshu Joshi, the son of an Army officer from Chamoli’s Gwaldam, was initially taken to the primary health centre in the village after he showed signs of severe dehydration.The death of a one-year-old boy in Uttarakhand has prompted a probe after he was referred to five hospitals across four districts, before passing away in the ICU.Shubhanshu Joshi, the son of an Army officer from Chamoli’s Gwaldam, was initially taken to the primary health centre in the village after he showed signs of severe dehydration. Faced with inadequate services there, the family had to move the infant to four other hospitals in Bageshwar, Almora, and finally to Nainital’s Haldwani, where he died six days later.“The news of the death of an innocent child in Bageshwar due to negligence in medical treatment is extremely painful and unfortunate,” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X. “As per the information received so far, it appears at first glance that negligence has been shown by officials and employees at certain levels in the discharge of their duties. Immediate investigation orders have been given to the Kumaon Commissioner. If negligence or indifference is found at any level in this case, the strictest action against the guilty will be ensured. No leniency will be tolerated in protecting the trust and lives of the public.”A staff member at the first centre in Chamoli’s Gwaldam, Narayan Devrari, said that Joshi reached the PHC at 1:50 pm on July 10 because he could not be breastfed and was vomiting throughout. He was then referred to the community health centre in Bageshwar’s Baijnath, 22 km away. “We did not have a paediatrician to look at the child. The CHC had ultrasound facilities, and first aid services were done there,” he said.At the CHC in Baijnath, the child was treated, but as his condition deteriorated, the centre had to refer him to the district hospital in Bageshwar, another 20 km away. Dr Kumar Aditya Tiwari, the chief medical officer of the district hospital, said that the child suffered from blood flow impedance in the brain, and the lack of a pediatric ICU unit forced them to refer him to a higher centre.“We do not have a neurologist or a cardiologist. The hospital did not have the PICU to treat the child further. Had there been better exposure to healthcare facilities, he could have survived,” he said. The CMO said that a committee has been appointed to investigate the incident, and a report has been submitted.The child was then taken to the Almora medical college hospital, 68 km away, but was again referred to a hospital in Haldwani. The 330-bedded Almora hospital has two ICUs, including one for pediatric care. The child was admitted to the Haldwani Sushila Tiwari government hospital, where he died on July 16.Story continues below this adShubhanshu’s father, Dinesh Joshi, who is posted in Jammu and Kashmir, alleged that his wife called for an ambulance to take their son from the district hospital to Almora around 7 pm, but it could not be arranged even within an hour. Eventually, he had to call the District Magistrate and request help. Following the DM’s orders, an ambulance finally arrived at 9.30 pm, he said.“When we took him to Bageshwar, the doctor said he was in a serious condition. They asked us to call 108 for an ambulance. I called them around 7 pm, and they said they would come in 30 minutes. When they did not show up, I approached a doctor and told him I was helpless and my husband was away at work. They were apathetic to my grief and insisted that we take him to a higher centre,” Shubhanshu’s mother said.Aiswarya Raj is a correspondent with The Indian Express who covers South Haryana. An alumna of Asian College of Journalism and the University of Kerala, she started her career at The Indian Express as a sub-editor in the Delhi city team. In her current position, she reports from Gurgaon and covers the neighbouring districts. She likes to tell stories of people and hopes to find moorings in narrative journalism. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Indian army