“Body shifted for postmortem without informing us”: Narela firecracker victim’s brother alleges hospital negligence

New Delhi [India], November 9 (ANI): The brother of a 10-year-old boy who died after a firecracker exploded during Diwali celebrations in Delhi's Narela area has alleged medical negligence at Harishchandra Hospital, claiming that doctors failed to provide prompt treatment and that the child's body was transferred to another hospital for postmortem without informing the family.
Speaking to ANI, the deceased's brother, Mohit, said the boy was bursting small firecrackers commonly used at parties and weddings when one of them suddenly struck him in the chest, causing severe injuries.
"My brother was bursting firecrackers. They weren't big firecrackers or anything; you can check the CCTV footage if you want. They were small ones, the kind used at parties and weddings--like sparklers that burn out quickly. Those were the ones," Mohit said.
Describing the incident, he said the firecracker struck his younger brother from behind and caused severe injuries to his chest.
"My younger brother was lighting that cracker, and all of a sudden, it hit him right here on his chest from behind. It recoiled backwards, and his entire chest was ripped open," he said.
Mohit alleged that the family did not receive timely medical attention after rushing the child to Harishchandra Hospital and claimed that the doctors took too long to attend to him.
"Normally in an emergency, doctors rush to operate immediately. If they had done that, my brother would still be with us right now," he alleged.
He further claimed that a doctor examined the child and declared him dead within a short time, despite the family's repeated requests for another examination.
"A doctor came, examined him, and casually said, 'Brother, it's nothing... he's gone.' Within 5 to 10 minutes--at most half an hour--they just declared him dead. We went back and begged them, 'Please check him again, check him just once more.' We even pleaded by holding their hands, but there was no response," Mohit said.
The brother also alleged that hospital staff and police personnel used force when the family tried to stop the removal of the body. He claimed that the family had agreed to the postmortem but requested the authorities to wait for their relatives to arrive before shifting the body.
Mohit further alleged that the body was subsequently transferred to another hospital in Jahangirpuri without informing the family or obtaining their signatures.
"They didn't tell us at all. Absolutely not. They transferred the body to another hospital for the postmortem without letting us know," he said.
"Without any intimation, without getting any signatures from us, without making us fill out any applications or paperwork--they just dispatched the body away directly," he alleged.
Earlier, the child's mother, Anjali, had also alleged negligence in the treatment and demanded justice for her son.
"My son was bursting crackers; everyone was doing so. While he was bursting anar and sky shots, one hit him from behind, striking his chest. It struck his arteries; he was still breathing, so we rushed him to the hospital. They did not treat him well; in fact, they tried to scare and threaten us. I want justice," she told ANI.
According to Delhi Police, the 10-year-old sustained injuries when a firecracker exploded in his hand. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment but later succumbed to his injuries.
Police are investigating the type of explosive involved and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Meanwhile, the child's body was brought to his residence in the Narela area on Monday. (ANI)