The family of a minor girl, who was raped on May 26 and died due to her injuries on Sunday, has alleged that she was made to wait in an ambulance for hours before being admitted to Patna Medical College Hospital, The Indian Express reported.

On the other hand, the hospital authorities have claimed they acted swiftly after the case came to light.

The girl’s uncle told The Indian Express that the family had arrived at Patna Medical College Hospital from another hospital on Saturday.

“The emergency department staff [at Patna Medical College Hospital] said there was no space and directed us to other wards,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “We were sent to the paediatric department after being turned away from two to three wards. She was in the ambulance for hours.”

It was only after some politicians intervened that the minor was admitted at around 5 pm on Saturday, the uncle claimed, adding that she died on Sunday morning.

Congress’s Bihar unit chief Rajesh Ram, along with party workers, had arrived at the hospital in the afternoon while the girl was waiting in the ambulance, according to The Indian Express.

Ram told The Times of India that he had attempted to contact state Health Minister Mangal Pandey, but his calls were unanswered.

Another Congress leader present at the hospital, Rajesh Rathorre, said that the minor had been referred from Sri Krishna Medical College in Muzaffarpur to Patna Medical College Hospital, according to The Times of India.

Claiming that the girl’s family had reached Patna Medical College Hospital at around 11 am on Saturday, Rathorre added: “It took the hospital administration more than four hours to provide her a bed and she was finally admitted after 3 pm.”

A purported video of the incident was also circulated widely on social media, PTI reported.

However, Patna Medical College Hospital Medical Superintendent Indrashekhar Thakur told The Indian Express that there was no negligence on the part of the hospital administration.

The girl was brought to the central emergency unit of the hospital in an ambulance from Muzaffarpur at 1.23 pm on Saturday, he said, adding that doctors had then advised that she be taken to the ear, nose and throat department.

“I was on leave, but the acting superintendent was informed and immediately called the patient to the ENT department,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “Meanwhile, Congress workers arrived, leading to a crowd outside ENT. Our doctors examined her in the advanced life support ambulance itself, which was equipped with the necessary facilities.”

Thakur added: “Besides an injury to her throat, she also had chest injuries and other injuries and had been sexually assaulted. So, by 3.43 pm, a quick decision was made to admit her to the gynaecology department, as ENT currently lacks an ICU [intensive care unit] facility.”

He said the allegations that the hospital had “neglected her for four hours or nine hours” were baseless. “As soon as the administration was informed, every effort was made to treat her,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying. “Despite the best efforts of all doctors, she passed away around 8.15 am on Sunday.”

The girl was raped on May 26 in Muzaffarpur district, The Indian Express quoted unidentified police officials as saying.

A man identified as Rohit Kumar Sahni had allegedly lured her away from her home at around 11 am with the “promise of Kurkure and chocolate” the officials said, adding that he took her to an isolated spot near a pond, raped her, slit her throat and stabbed her with a knife.

She was found lying near the pond at around 7 pm that evening, the officials added. The Indian Express quoted Muzaffarpur Rural Superintendent of Police Vidya Sagar as saying that Sahni was arrested the same night.

“The victim had suffered multiple injuries on her body,” Sagar the newspaper. “Due to the cut on her throat, she could not speak, but narrated the ordeal to her relatives using signals. During the preliminary investigation, we learned that the accused has a history of such behaviour and a habitual tendency to harass girls.”