'If my daughter was admitted in time and her treatment started soon, she could have been saved.'
After facing flak from the Opposition over the rape and death of a Dalit minor at the government-run Patna Medical College and Hospital, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, constituted a three-member investigation team to probe the incident.
Sensing the political fallout of the incident ahead of the forthcoming Bihar assembly polls, Pandey said three directors of the health department will probe allegations of delay, negligence and apathy in the treatment of the rape victim that led to her death.
The team, the minister said, will visit the Patna Medical College and Hospital where the rape victim died during treatment and the Muzaffarpur-based government-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital where the seriously injured rape victim was admitted first for treatment last week.
The Opposition combine of Congress, Left parties and Rashtriya Janata Dal asked why a rape victim in critical condition had to wait for more than four hours in an ambulance on the Patna Medical College and Hospital premises before her treatment started, and which delay, they averred, resulted in her death.
The rape victim's family members, including her widowed mother and uncle Virendar Paswan, alleged that Patna Medical College and Hospital officials ignored their repeated plea to admit her for treatment and that she was left in the ambulance for over four hours and was admitted only after Congress leaders intervened.
'If my daughter was admitted in time and her treatment started soon, she could have been saved,' her mother said.
Dr Kumari Vibha, superintendent of the Muzaffarpur-based government run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, said that lack of proper equipment and specialist doctors forced them to send the rape victim, who was in a critical condition, to the Patna Medical College and Hospital.
'She was treated for five days as per our capacity and available resources but when her condition deteriorated, she was referred to Patna,' Dr Vibha said.
The rape-death has again exposed the lack of health facilities for the poorest of the poor in the state and triggered protests in Patna and Muzaffarpur, with the Opposition blaming the Nitish Kumar government for the sorry state of affairs.
Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram, a Dalit, launched a scathing attack on the Bihar government over the incident.
With other Opposition parties joining the protest, the rape-death is likely to become an issue ahead of the assembly polls in October-November.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a social media post condemned the incident and said the protest will continue till the victim's family gets justice.
'Rapes are taking place daily across the state but the NDA government is sleeping,' charged Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly.
Under pressure after the Opposition protest, Muzaffarpur police officials said that the chargesheet will be filed within two weeks against the accused, who has been jailed, and a speedy trial will be conducted in the case.
In damage control the Bihar government on Tuesday removed the deputy superintendent of the Patna Medical College and Hospital and suspended Dr Kumari Vibha.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
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