A seven-year-old girl died in a state-run hospital in West Bengal's Murshidabad district when the block medical officer failed to give permission for using an ambulance to shift her to a better facility. The BMO, annoyed at being woken up in the wee hours, was busy fighting with the on-duty-doctor and didn't give the requisite permission.

The girl, Jhunu Bayen, was admitted to Gokarna block hospital with stomach pain, fever and acute breathing problems late on Monday night, Chief Medical Officer (Health) M G Mandal said on Tuesday.

Biswajit Roy, the doctor on duty, told her parents that she should be taken to Berhampore Sadar Hospital for better treatment, but they could not afford any transport.

Roy told them that an ambulance could be provided for Jhunu with the consent of Block Medical Officer Sukhendu Biswas.

But when a health worker was sent to the BMO's quarters to get a written permission from him, an enraged Biswas rushed to the hospital. He had a heated exchange with Roy and they even exchanged blows. Biswas then allegedly hit Roy with a chair. Both doctors were admitted to hospital with injures, Mandal said.

In the meantime, Jhunu died at around 6 am.

As the news of her death spread in the area, angry locals protested in front of the hospital and demanded that Biswas be punished. They also blocked the Gokarna-Berhampore highway for some time.

Mandal said that an inquiry has been ordered and Biswas has been withdrawn from duty.