LUCKNOW: Bringing the focus back to poor health facilities in Uttar Pradesh after the children’s deaths at the BRD Medical College last year, five people died in the ICU of Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital — one of the associated hospitals of Ganesh Shanker Vidhyarthi Memorial Medical College — in Kanpur within 24 hours allegedly due to snags in air conditioners.
Relatives of the deceased patients alleged that the air-conditioning system at the Intensive Care Unit had not been working since Wednesday. As per sources, the technical snag in the ACs could not be rectified even after paramedical staff submitted written complaints. The hospital staff tried to provide relief to the ICU patients by opening windows and doors, but relatives said it was not enough because of the intense heat wave.
While hospital authorities claimed that these patients were terminally ill, Navneet Kumar, principal of the medical college, accepted that the ACs at the ICU were not working despite getting them repaired repeatedly.
ICU in-charge Dr Saurabh Agarwal admitted the ACs were not functioning but refuted allegations that it was the cause of the deaths. He asserted all five patients were critical and the deaths occurred due to
natural reasons.
The health department ordered an inquiry into the deaths. Health minister Siddharth Nath Singh assured action against anyone found guilty of laxity. On Friday, six new ACs were installed at the ICU on Friday.
Kanpur district magistrate Surendra Singh accepted that the AC system was not working on Thursday but added “today the situation is back to normal.” All other equipment including ventilators were working properly, he said, adding that a four-member committee would do a thorough probe.