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Soubhik Das from South 24-Parganas accidentally swallowed a 50-paisa coin a few days ago while playing in his home. Although he was fine the whole day, his parents suspected something wrong when he stopped eating and complained of pain while swallowing bits of food.
His parents took him to a doctor who ordered an X-ray done that revealed the boy had swallowed a coin. The local doctors advised the parents to bring him to Kolkata.
Soubhik’s parents brought him to the NRS Medical College and Hospital. However, the doctors there said they did not have the necessary equipment to conduct the operation and advised his father to get him admitted to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.
But the CMCH authorities asked them to leave as they did not have a bed. It was nearly at 1 am on Friday when they advised the family to get the child admitted elsewhere.
“We finally came to SSKM around 2 am and my son was finally admitted to the hospital after we spent a harrowing time running around from one hospital to another. While the NRS authorities said they did not have the equipment, the CMCH authorities said they did not have a bed,” said a relative, who had come to the city with the child.
Around 11 am on Saturday, Dr SK Dutta of SSKM hospital conducted an operation to bring out the coin. “The child swallowed the coin while playing and it got stuck in his throat. As it was not possible for the local hospital staff to bring it out, they referred him to a city hospital,” Dutta said. LK Ghosh, superintendent of NRS hospital, said: “We do not have a bronchoscope and a laryngoscope — the two equipment necessary for conducting the operation. We had sent a list to Swasthya Bhavan last year requesting the two equipment among other facilities but they have still not responded. Children often swallow coins and such cases are referred to our ENT department. But due to unavailability of equipment, we are unable to take up such cases,” Ghosh said. The CMCH authorities were unavailable for comment.
