With anger still mounting a week after nine infants kept dying at the VSS Medical College, Burla, anguished parents feel something could have been done to save the tiny lives. Narrating the events at the hospital, parents of two unfortunate babies, said the staff did not do enough. Now they have one request: let it not happen with other parents and children must not die out of carelessness and callousness of the medical staff.
Vedavyasa Meher (31) and his wife Kaikayi (28) of Dalpali village in Patnagarh block in Balangir district had three daughters and their happiness saw no bounds when they were blessed with twin baby boy. But their cheers were short-lived when one among the twins closed his eyes for ever last week. Kaikayi had delivered the twins in a Balangir nursing home on July 10.
The newborn then were referred to Balangir District Headquarter Hospital (DHH) where the baby recovered and the couple returned home on July 13.
However, the child developed complications and was readmitted to Balangir DHH on July 15 only to be referred to VSS Medical. The baby was admitted at about 10 am on July 19. At SNCU, they immediately dole out ` 300 on demand by a nurse. Later doctors arrived and after checkup prescribed some medicine for the child and Vedvyasa procured it.
There was no sight of the doctors after that till their child died at about 3 pm. Had the doctors taken due care, maybe the child would have survived.
Attabira: The story of Ghanashyam Sahu and his wife Padmabati of Paharsirgida in Attabira block is no different. Padambati was seven-month pregnant and had gone to VSS Medical after she developed pain. After check-up, she was asked to get admitted to the hospital. After she developed premature contraction the doctors on duty decided for delivery and she gave birth to a baby boy in the wee hours of July 16.
Since the child was in critical condition, Padmabati was discharged and the newborn shifted to SNCU even as the doctors in SNCU informed the couple that the child was recovering and fine.
Suddenly on July 18 night, the condition of the child deteriorated and they contacted the doctor. However, the doctor said it was not possible for him to treat all the children and that he would check the child up next day.
Although the doctor turned up the next day, he missed out to check the child till the baby was declared dead at 7.45 pm. The couple said that their child died due to carelessness of the doctors and paramedical staff on duty.