Another infant died at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital in Warangal on Thursday owing to a shortage of ventilators. A five-month baby, Manasa, had died at the hospital due to the same problem three days ago.
Thursday’s victim was a four-day baby, a girl, born to G Ravinder and Jyoti of Mallampalli village in Palakurthy mandal. She was delivered at the Chanda Kantaiah Memorial Maternity Hospital on August 6 but, being in a bad condition, was referred to MGM as she needed the attention of a pediatrician. She was admitted to the Newborn Care Unit of MGM on August 7 and kept in the radiation warmer.
“She seemed to be OK till Wednesday night but when I visited her this morning, I found her dead,” said Ravinder. He alleged that the hospital staff did not respond to his pleas for help until a nurse checked the pulse of the baby and declared her dead. He swaid his wife had had a tubectomy done after the delivery. The couple have a five-year-old boy.
As the family staged a dharna at the hospital, doctors pleaded that there had been no lapses in the treatment given to the baby who was suffering from jaundice. Speaking to Express, MGM’s resident medical officer Dr Vishnu Mohan gave a clean chit to his staff, stating that they would have arranged a ventilator if one was required.
“Our staff tried their best to save the baby. She had a cold and developed breathing problems. The doctors followed the prescribed procedure in treating her,” he said.
A few days ago, five-month-old Manasa died of meningitis (brain fever) after the doctors arranged the ventilator meant for her was shifted to another baby who was in a critical condition.
The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has taken up the case suo motu and issued notices to the district collector of Warangal, DM&HO and the hospital superintendent seeking a detailed report. Though MGM requires about 40 ventilators, only 14 are available. And only seven of them are in a working condition.