Six infants undergoing treatment at the Children’s Hospital of SVR Ruia government general hospital (SVRRGGH) died on Wednesday allegedly due to negligence of the doctors. However, confusion prevailed on the actual toll, with unconfirmed reports putting the number of babies who died as 11. This is the second such incident in the last one month, where recently three children had died.
Tense situation prevailed in the hospital following the deaths with the parents and relatives of the dead infants and other patients raising slogans against the doctors in front of the hospital. They alleged that the negligence of doctors in attending to the babies had resulted in the death. They also staged a dharna holding the bodies of infants and alleged that a majority of doctors had kept away from work following the flag hoisting on the occasion of Independence Day.
However, the hospital said that babies had been admitted with various complications. “The babies were brought in with serious health conditions. Despite providing all medical support, they could not survive,” hospital superintendent Veeraswamy said. He brushed off the allegations that the children died due to shortage of oxygen and negligence of doctors.
Veeraswamy maintained that only six babies who were in a critical stage had died on Wednesday. The baby of Subbamma from Thottambedu mandal near Srikalahasthi was admitted with ischemic encephalopathy (stage I) with respiratory distress. The doctors claimed they immediately provided ventilator support to the baby but to no avail.
Politicians from all major political parties visited the hospital and were holding discussions with the doctors when reports last came in. Meanwhile, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the health department officials to submit a detailed report on the issue.