Haveri
A one-year-old girl allegedly died after failing to receive timely medical treatment at a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Havanur village of Haveri taluk, triggering protests by her family and local residents outside the hospital on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as Bhavani Mahesh Killikyatar, who reportedly collapsed while playing at home after suffering a sudden seizure. Her parents immediately rushed her to the Havanur Primary Health Centre seeking emergency treatment.
According to the family, no doctor was available at the PHC when they arrived. They were then advised to shift the child to the Primary Health Centre at Guttal for further treatment. However, the child reportedly died before reaching the hospital.
Angered by the incident, family members and villagers placed the child’s body in front of the Havanur PHC and staged a protest, alleging that the absence of a doctor at the health centre led to the child’s death. They demanded immediate appointment of sufficient medical staff and sought the intervention of local MLA Rudrappa Lamani.
Taluk Medical Officer Dr. Prabhakar Kundapura visited the hospital and held discussions with the bereaved family. He said the health centre requires three regular staff members, while only two are currently on duty. He added that another staff member would be posted soon and noted that an Ayurveda doctor is presently serving at the facility.
Dr. Kundapura said the child had reportedly died before reaching the hospital. Based on information provided by the parents, he said the child had been healthy earlier in the morning and suggested that breathing difficulty while being fed could have contributed to the death, though the exact cause would require medical examination.
He also acknowledged that there was no nurse on night duty and assured that arrangements would be made to ensure round-the-clock staff availability. Police from Guttal station visited the protest site and began an inquiry into the incident, while residents continued to press for improved healthcare facilities at the village health centre.