JAGATSINGHPUR: In a case of alleged medical negligence, a woman from Tirtol lost her life on the way to the hospital on Monday due to lack of oxygen in the ambulance she was being carried in. Moreover, instead of a doctor, the ambulance driver asked the woman’s husband to fix the ventilator. The incident sparked anger among family members who demonstrated outside the district headquarters hospital (DHH) and demanded action against the healthcare staff.
As per reports, Rajlaxmi Nayak (58), a resident of Kanakpur village within Tirtol police limits, suffered severe chest pain on Monday. As her condition worsened, her husband Bijay Nayak hired a car and took her to the DHH. Post primary treatment, the doctor advised family members to shift her to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
After Bijay deposited `800 transport charge for the ambulance, the driver as advised by the doctor, asked the patient’s family to fix the ventilator on her instead of doing it himself on suspicion that she might be infected with Covid-19. When Rajlaxmi complained of aggravated chest pain and breathing difficulty on the way, the driver checked and found that the cylinder had run out of oxygen.
Few minutes later, Rajlaxmi died when the ambulance was near College Chowk on Cuttack-Nuagaon NH. The ambulance returned to Jagatsinghpur DHH with the patient and doctors declared her brought dead.
The news triggered tension and irate family members agitated at the hospital, alleging medical negligence and demanding action against the medical staff.
“Local health staff did not check availability of oxygen in the cylinder before shifting my wife to SCB. Her death is a case of gross medical negligence. Action must be taken against the erring staff,” alleged the husband. However, a doctor at the DHH said the matter is under investigation. The patient’s death could possibly be due to cardiac arrest as she had earlier suffered the attack thrice, he said.
Meanwhile, CDMO Bijaya Panda has directed ADMO (Medical) of the DHH Ajay Swain to conduct an inquiry on the issue. “I will inquire into the details with the deceased patient’s family members and other health care staff during investigation,” the ADMO said.