Toddler dies after swallowing battery cell

Srinagar,11 March: A two-year-old boy died after he accidentally swallowed a coin-shaped battery cell used in electronic watches at his home at Waterwani village of Central Kashmir’s Budgam, with relatives alleging that government hospitals where he was taken to had refused to admit him on one or the other pretext.

The toddler’s relatives especially his uncle alleged that he was denied treatment and no ambulance was offered to them by any hospital.

The victim has been identified as Shadab Ali.

Ajaz Hussain, the uncle of the victim told a news agency that they took the child to District Hospital Budgam. “The doctors instead of taking the matter seriously referred him to JVC Hospital Bemina. At JVC, we were directed to shift the boy to SMHS Hospital. At SMHS Hospital, we were made to wait for over 3 hours and when we raised hue and cry, he was taken inside Operation Theater where doctors declared him dead,” Hussain said .