MillenniumPost
Delhi

Capital shame: four patients die due to lack of oxygen

Four patients died on Tuesday morning in a government hospital due to lack of oxygen in the ventilator. The kin of victims staged protest at Sushrut Trauma Centre. According to hospital sources, the deaths happened due to lack of oxygen.

The incident came to light around 6.45 in the morning. The deceased have been identified as Javed, 20, a Kashmiri Gate resident, Rajkumar, 35, from Swaroop Nagar and Rehanna, 36, from Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh). The fourth person, in his late 30s, is yet to be identified.

Another patient named Vikram is also in a critical condition. The dead bodies have been sent to the mortuary  in Sabji Mandi and are pending postmortem.

The  hospital inquiry is still trying to figure out the fault, which led to the death of the innocents.

Initial inquiry revealed that the centralised oxygen supply of the hospital was restricted due to the fault of an operator which led to the death of the four people, said the officer.

But further investigations revealed that that a boy named Amit was assigned on duty for the gas pipeline system. Amit, employed by Pace Installation Private Limited, has studied only up to Class VIII. An under qualified helper handling the pipe system could well be the reason for the tragedy, claim sources. The private company had installed the centralised oxygen plant in the hospital and it also operates the equipment.

Pace Installation Private Limited denied any fault in its system. According to them, the doctors and the logistics are to be blamed. The gas pipe line supply system is on the ground floor of the hospital and by the time doctors could come to the system to set the system right, four out of five patients died.

According to a senior doctor of the hospital, it took only 10-12minutes without oxygen supply for the patients to die.

A case has been registered in the Civil Lines police station.


HEALTH MIN SETS UP INQUIRY COMMISSION

Meanwhile, Delhi health minister A K Walia has expressed grief over the incident and has ordered for an inquiry.

The inquiry will be headed by S B Shashank, Special Secretary of Health, who would look into the causes of the incident and would also suggest measures to overcome recurrence of such incidents in the future.

A team of five doctors has been deputed to conduct an inquiry into the incident. AK Sethi from GTB hospital and Deepak Tempe, HOD of Anesthesia from GB Pant hospital have been included as members on the inquiry committee.

The committee has been directed to submit its report within next three days. Walia would also chair a meeting on Wednesday to review the situation in all other hospitals.
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