PATNA, India — The death of a 10-year-old rape victim at a government hospital in Bihar has triggered widespread outrage across India, with her family alleging that delayed medical treatment contributed to her death.
The child died Sunday morning at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in the state capital, following what her family describes as hours of waiting for admission while her condition deteriorated in an ambulance.
The girl, who belonged to the Dalit community at the bottom of India’s caste hierarchy, was brutally assaulted on May 26 in Muzaffarpur district. She was allegedly raped and stabbed multiple times by a man living near her aunt’s residence. Police have arrested the suspect and are investigating the crime.
According to her uncle, the child went missing while playing outside her home. Family members later discovered her lying injured near a roadside with multiple knife wounds to her chest and neck.
She was initially treated at a local hospital before being transferred to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), approximately 85 kilometers from Patna. Kumari Vibha, SKMCH superintendent, confirmed the child had stabilized but required specialized windpipe reconstruction surgery, necessitating her transfer to PMCH.
The family’s allegations center on what happened after the child arrived at PMCH on Saturday. Her uncle claimed hospital staff made them wait in the ambulance for approximately four hours, moving between departments before finally admitting her to the gynecology ward.
“They made us run around for four hours from one hospital department to another one,” the uncle alleged, describing the ordeal that preceded the child’s death.
PMCH authorities have categorically denied the delay allegations. IS Thakur, a senior hospital official, explained that the child was initially admitted to pediatrics but transferred to the Ear, Nose and Throat department due to her specific injuries.
“Since we do not have an ICU in ENT, the child was shifted to the ICU of the gynecology department,” Thakur stated. He emphasized that the child arrived in an Advanced Life Support ambulance equipped for critical care and that “allegations of a delay in getting a hospital bed are baseless.”
The case gained national attention after a viral video showed Congress party members confronting hospital staff and demanding the child’s immediate admission. The incident has since become a political flashpoint in Bihar, with opposition parties organizing protests and demanding accountability from the ruling BJP-JD(U) coalition government.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the death as “extremely shameful” and called for strict action against negligent officials. The main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal questioned the effectiveness of Bihar’s healthcare infrastructure, asking on social media: “What is the use of the big buildings being built in the name of hospitals when there is chaos, corruption, misbehavior, lack of resources and insensitivity all around?”
Government representatives have defended their response. BJP spokesperson Anamika Singh Patel called the death “unfortunate” but insisted that hospital admission procedures require time and that government officials are working responsibly.
The National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women have both intervened, criticizing the incident and demanding investigations into the hospital’s handling of the case.
The tragedy has highlighted broader concerns about Bihar’s healthcare system months before scheduled state assembly elections. Recent reports indicate that only half of ventilators in government hospitals are functional, while Patna has just one government doctor for every 11,541 residents, with ratios significantly worse in rural areas.
The case also underscores ongoing challenges faced by India’s Dalit community, who continue to experience discrimination despite legal protections. Dalits frequently encounter barriers to accessing quality healthcare and justice, making this case emblematic of broader systemic issues.
A recent editorial in the Times of India, titled “Bihar’s Shame,” criticized the state’s hospital conditions, referencing another incident where a patient reported being bitten by a rat while hospitalized at a government facility in Patna.
Under Indian law, rape victims cannot be publicly identified, and authorities have maintained this protocol throughout the case coverage.
