Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Panic prevailed in Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar Hospital on Thursday after family members of an infant who died in the hospital alleged that the death was due to medical negligence. The enraged family members also alleged that at least 15 infants had died in the neonatal intensive care in the last two days, due to consumption of spoilt milk.
Other bereaved attendants and kin also joined the protest. As the agitation intensified the infuriated family members exchanged heated arguments with the guards and doctors.
However, the district administration and hospital administration rubbished the claims of the family members and said that only two infants had died in the hospital in the last 24 hours due to infection and not due to any medical negligence or milk consumption.
“The allegations of 15 or 18 deaths in two days are false and baseless. Only two infants died in the hospital in 24 hours including a 24-day-old male baby of Pooja Jitendra, resident of Ujjain, who was admitted on June 10 and delivered the baby on the same day,” associate professor and NICU in-charge Dr Sunil Arya said.
ANANDSHIVRE
He added that Pooja’s baby was preterm as it was delivered in seven and half months.
“It was a premature baby and weighed 1.4 kg. The baby was critical and we provided him with all the treatment due to which he survived for 24 days. The baby had developed sepsis and intestinal blockage. He aspirated when being fed milk through a tube and the liquid entered his lungs leading to his death,” Dr Arya said.
Later, divisional commissioner Pawan Sharma, MGM Medical College dean Dr Sanjay Dixit, and superintendent Dr PS Thakur rubbished the allegations of more than 15 deaths in the hospital.
“MTH Hospital is a big hospital for women and newborns and caters to the patients of the region. Many patients come to the hospital in critical condition. The deaths took place in hospital are due to medical complications. The baby who died on Thursday morning was also premature. There is no requirement of the probe in the matter,” Sharma said.
Earlier, collector Ilayaraja T also reached the hospital while he had rushed ADM Abhay Bedekar to monitor the situation.
Congress Demands Magisterial Probe
Congress leader and MLA Jitu Patwari, Shobha Oza, Pintu Joshi, and others also reached the hospital to meet the family members of the deceased infant. They also met the divisional commissioner and later demanded a magisterial probe in the case of alleged death of more than 15 infants in two days.
“The medical and health facilities in the state are in poor condition. We demand a magisterial probe into the allegations of death and will also send a delegation to the Chief Minister, health minister, and principal secretary to launch a probe,” Patwari said.
Spoilt Milk Served To Infants
Family members of the deceased infant have alleged a poor state of affairs in the hospital. They alleged that spoilt milk is being served to kids and their baby died only due to the medical negligence of the doctors and hospital staff.
“We have seen more than five children dying on Wednesday. Over 15 infants died in last two days in the hospital,” Pooja, the infant's mother, said.
Major Goof-Up
Wrong Infant’s Body Handed To Family, Nurse Suspended
-Show-Case To Three Docs
In a major goof-up, the hospital staff had handed over the wrong body of the infant to the bereaved family members. Later, the hospital staff called the family members again to bring back the body and to take the right one.
“The hospital staff had handed over a body of an infant to us on Thursday evening. As it was wrapped, we didn’t see the face and started preparations for performing the last rites. Shockingly, we received a call from the hospital to bring back the body saying that they had forgotten to put the tag in the body. They accepted their fault only after we refused to go back to the hospital,” family members of deceased infant said.
They also added that they were handed over the body of a female infant instead of out male infant.
Meanwhile, Dean MGM Medical College Dr Sanjay Dixit suspended the nursing staff Muskan Rathore and served show cause notice to Dr Preeti Malpani, Dr Sunil Arya, and Dr Nilesh Dalal for the goof up.
