Infant dies after adverse reaction to medicine, family claims negligence

New Delhi: The family of a 17-month-old boy have accused doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital of negligence, after the child died of an infection reportedly contracted due to an adverse reaction from a medicine administered to cure fever and prescribed from a state-run dispensary.

The infant Vishal was admitted to RML hospital on April 29. Before admission, his mother Sweta Kaur and her husband had taken him to Ambedkar Hospital, where the boy was referred to RML.

"My son had been diagonsed with fever on April 27 at the Aam Aadmi Polyclinic, Sector-18, Rohini (under Maharshi Valmiki hospital), where doctors prescribed a medicine. After taking the prescribed medicine, my son's skin started eroding from his body surface," said the heartbroken mother.

She also alleged that had her son been given proper attention by doctors at RML, he would had survived.

"Doctor at RML diagnosed Vishal with acute reaction of drug infection, both inside and outside his body. He was in very serious condition," said Rajesh Malhotra, the boy's grandfather.

After the diagnosis, however, Vishal's condition only deteriorated.

"We kept asking doctors what had happened to our child, and they never discussed the treatment he was undergoing," he said.

The parents also claimed that Vishal's legs and skin were almost dissolved, and he breathed his last on Saturday and at 3.30 am doctors on duty informed the parents.

A post-mortem was conducted on Sunday. "We are waiting for final report before confirming the final case of death. His samples have been preserved," said a forensic expert from the hospital.

A police official informed they are awaiting the post-mortem report as well to procede further into the matter. "An inquiry has been initiated, but we can not register a case unless a medical committed opines on it," said the police official.

Senior authorities at RML Hospital said the boy was treated symptomatically ,after he presented to the emergency ward.

"The treatment was given as per protocol. The boy was brought to us in a very critical condition, after two hospitals refused to admit him, fearing he had a severe infection. We admitted the boy, despite his very serious condition," said a senior administrative official.