A four-year-old boy has died while receiving treatment at Faridpur Medical College Hospital after his relatives allegedly struggled to obtain a trolley to take him to the emergency department. The family claims hospital staff demanded money for the trolley, and that they were forced to carry the critically ill child themselves when they could not pay.
The incident has drawn criticism on social media after a 32-second video showing the family rushing through the hospital with the child went viral.
The child, identified as Ruhul Amin, was the son of Mafuzur of Purdiya village in Faridpur Sadar upazila.
According to the family, Ruhul became seriously ill and was taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital for urgent treatment. As his condition was critical, the relatives sought a trolley to transport him quickly to the appropriate ward and medical staff.
They allege that hospital employees asked them for money before providing a trolley. Unable to pay the requested amount immediately, the family said they received no trolley and had to carry the child themselves.
The video circulating on social media shows a man carrying the unconscious or critically ill child in his arms while an oxygen mask is attached to the boy’s face. Another relative can be seen carrying a heavy oxygen cylinder, while a third person holds up a bottle of intravenous saline. The group appears to be moving hurriedly through the hospital premises.
The footage has prompted questions about patient transport facilities and the availability of immediate assistance for critically ill patients at the hospital. Relatives and people present at the scene can also be heard expressing anger over what they perceived as a lack of proper support.
The family said the child’s condition deteriorated rapidly amid the rush and difficulties in moving him without a trolley. Ruhul Amin eventually died while undergoing treatment at the hospital on Monday afternoon, 5 October.
The relatives and members of the local community have called for an investigation to establish whether any delay in transporting the child contributed to his death. However, there is currently no confirmed evidence establishing a direct link between the alleged delay and the child’s death.
Hospital authorities have rejected the allegation that the family was denied a trolley because they could not pay money.
Dr Manash Krishna Kundu, deputy director of Faridpur Medical College Hospital, who is currently performing the additional duties of director following the retirement of the director, said he had spoken to the nurses and ward attendants responsible for the relevant ward after receiving the complaint.
According to him, the relatives’ allegation was not correct. He said the child’s physical condition was considered extremely critical, and the nurses believed that placing him on a trolley could have posed an even greater risk to his condition. For that reason, they advised the family not to move him on a trolley, he said.
The conflicting accounts have left questions over what happened during the child’s transfer inside the hospital. While the family alleges that financial demands prevented them from obtaining a trolley, hospital authorities maintain that the decision was based on the child’s critical condition.
A proper investigation would be needed to determine whether a trolley was requested, whether any payment was sought, what advice medical staff gave the family, and whether the child experienced any treatment delay during the incident.
