A shocking video from Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district has gone viral, showing a patient with an IV drip inserted in his arm walking through a bustling market with the saline bottle in hand. The incident has triggered anger and renewed concerns over the dire state of rural healthcare in the state.
The video, reportedly shot in Sirsaud village, shows the man moving unattended through the market, the IV line still attached. Locals claimed he was being treated by a quack doctor who administered the saline drip and then left him on his own, forcing the patient to walk around with the infusion still connected.
The incident surfaced just days after a newborn was stolen from the Shivpuri district hospital, further highlighting systemic lapses in the region’s healthcare system.
Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. Sanjay Risheshwar confirmed that an investigation has been launched.
शिवपुरी जिले के सिरसौद गांव में बुधवार सुबह 11 बजे एक मरीज का हाथों में ड्रिप बोतल लगाए बीच सड़क पर चलते हुए वीडियो वायरल हुआ है, प्राप्त जानकारी के अनुसार जब व्यक्ति से इसके बारे पूछा तो उसने बताया कि उसे टॉयलेट आई थी, सबसे बड़ा सवाल है कि क्या चिकित्सालय में टॉयलेट नहीं थी ? pic.twitter.com/5IoqtSY9rf
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“It wouldn’t be appropriate to comment without proper inquiry. If it is proven the patient was left on a drip like this, it will be treated as serious negligence,” he said, adding that strict action will be taken if a private clinic or fake practitioner is involved.
Not an Isolated Case: A Pattern of Negligence
Shivpuri district has seen multiple alarming incidents recently from infants going missing to reports of unqualified practitioners running unchecked. Residents say the latest viral video exposes a much deeper issue: the collapse of public healthcare at the grassroots level.
Data backs the concern. Madhya Pradesh has one doctor for every 1,460 people, worse than the national average. With a population of 7.26 crore, the state requires nearly 89,000 doctors, but only around 49,730 are available across government and private sectors.
Rural health facilities are even more strained. According to the Rural Health Statistics report, Madhya Pradesh faces a 94% shortage of medical specialists, one of the highest in India.
Healthcare Crisis in Focus
The viral IV drip video has now become a symbol of the state’s broader healthcare failures lack of trained professionals, absence of monitoring, and the dangerous rise of unlicensed practitioners in rural pockets.
As outrage grows on social media and among local residents, health authorities are under pressure to fix accountability and ensure such negligence does not repeat.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
