BHOPAL: A magisterial probe has been ordered into deaths of three critical patients within three hours in the intensive care unit (ICU) of state government run Jaya Arogya Hospital (JAH) in Gwalior on Tuesday evening.
Gwalior Divisional Commissioner BM Sharma told The New Indian Express on Wednesday that a magisterial probe has been ordered into the three deaths. “An SDM rank officer has been tasked to conduct the probe and submit the report in 15 days,” said Sharma.
Relatives of the deceased patients alleged that there was power cut at the hospital on Tuesday evening, which led to the halt in oxygen supply to the trio who were on ventilator support at the ICU of trauma center. This caused the death of all three patients.
The three patients have been identified as Mahendra Jatav (35), Rajesh Baghel (15) and Om Prakash Dhakad (45), all critically ill patients.
Anita, the widow of Mahendra and Gyan Singh, the close relative of Rajesh Baghel alleged that sudden power cut for around half an hour led to the stopping of ventilators on which the three patients were kept at the trauma center ICU. “The ventilators remained non-functional for around 15 minutes, which led to halt in oxygen supply to our patients, ultimately leading to their deaths,” alleged the relatives of the deceased trio.
Coming to know about the incident, former Congress MLA Pradyuman Singh Tomar rushed to the hospital and protested outside for around two hours.
“The deaths have been caused by sheer negligence of the on duty hospital staff, strict action needs to be taken against them, along with adequate compensation to the kin of the deceased. It’s shocking that despite Gwalior having three cabinet ministers in the state government and one cabinet minister in the union government, not even a single BJP politician has come here to fight for justice to the victim families,” said Tomar.
Former union minister and Lok Sabha member from Guna seat Jyotiraditya Scindia also tweeted over the issue demanding stern action against those responsible for these deaths at the hospital.
The hospital’s medical superintendent Dr JS Sikarwar, however, denied that any of the deaths were caused by halting of oxygen supply or sudden stopping of ventilators on Tuesday. “There was no power cut, neither there was any halt in ventilators functioning or resultant stoppage of oxygen supply to the critical patients. These patients were brain dead patients and doctors were trying their best to save them, but couldn’t save them, despite best possible efforts,” said Sikarwar.