The health department on Friday suspended two doctors and a nurse of Patna Medical College and Hospital for their alleged negligence, leading to the death of a nine-year-old boy last month.

Nine-year-old boy Roshan Kumar died on September 17. The nine-year-old was suffering from septicemia, an infection in the blood, and some neurological problems.

A Class IV employee of the hospital is already cooling his heels behind bars for his involvement in the case. He had demanded a bribe from the child’s father for providing Roshan oxygen support. The doctors and the nurse were suspended for not intervening even though they were at the ward.

Surendra Saw, Roshan’s father, claimed that Class IV employee Subhash Prasad refused to supply him oxygen without money. Sources said Saw was asked for Rs 100, something he could not provide at that time. Saw later lodged an FIR at Pirbahore police station against Prasad.

A senior official in the health department said: “Senior residents Saroj Kumar and Rashmi Agrawal were suspended on Friday. Nurse Shanti Devi has also been suspended. The notification regarding has been issued but not yet uploaded on the department’s website.”

Another official said: “The two doctors and the nurse were on duty at the ward when Prasad demanded bribe from the child’s father. But none of them intervened or provided the patient any help. That is why they have been suspended. A Class IV employee is only supposed to bring the oxygen cylinder but not operate it. That is done by the nurse and doctors on duty.”

Sources said Prasad, although not supposed to operate the oxygen cylinders, would do so for the patients.

Neelam Verma, head of department, paediatrics, denied having any official information about the suspension of the two senior residents and the nurse. “I have not received any official information about this,” she said.

She also refused to comment on the suspension and also could not say what steps had been initiated by the department in the case.

She, however, added: “Doctors, especially the senior residents of the hospital, are doing a very good job as far as patient care is concerned. This case is a rare one and don’t occur at the hospital on a daily basis.”