Authorities of Jalpaiguri superspecialty hospital have served showcause notices to five hospital employees on Thursday in connection with the death of an 18-year-old Covid patient on Wednesday allegedly from neglect.

Those showcaused are a ward master, two ward boys and two security men on duty when patient Samir Munda was brought to the hospital.

The teen from Joypur tea estate was diagnosed Covid-positive at this hospital and referred to the Covid hospital at the Biswa Bangla Krirangan, barely 2km away. But it took four hours for the district health department to arrange an ambulance. By then, Samir had died.

Hospital superintendent Gayaram Naskar said they started a probe and “found some lapses at the ward master’s office”.

That is why we served showcause notices to the ward master and some others. We are also trying to find out why it took so much time for an ambulance to reach at the hospital,” Naskar said.

District health department sources said those showcaused were asked why they did not inform the superintendent and other senior health officials that the ambulance was so late. “An alternative arrangement could have always been worked out,” said a source.

A senior health official said the ward master, the ward boys and the security men appeared to have dealt with the patient “casually”.

“A Covid care centre for women patients is running at a night shelter just opposite the superspecialty hospital. Most beds are empty there. The ward master and others should have guided the patient to this centre where he would have been treated till the ambulance came,” the official said.

The sole ambulance that carries Covid 19 patients in Jalpaiguri has technical glitches and is not running for past 10 days. The health department is using ambulances meant for Covid patients of Maynaguri and Rajganj blocks.