Chhattisgarh Girl on Ventilator Support Dies as Cylinder Runs Out of Oxygen
Raipur: A five-year-old girl died on Monday after the cylinder attached to her ventilator support system ran out of oxygen while she was being shifted to another hospital 160 kms away in Chhattisgarh's Bastar division, an official said.
Bijapur Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr B R Pujari said the incident took place when Bulbul Kudiyam, who was diagnosed with severe pneumonia and was on ventilator support, was being shifted to Jagdalpur Medical College Hospital in Bastar district from Bijapur district hospital.
Kudiyam, a resident of Toynar village, had fallen ill at her ashram school in nearby Matwada village and was admitted in Bijapur district hospital on August 22, Dr Pujari told PTI.
He said that on Sunday night it was decided to shift her to Jagdalpur, around 160 kms from Bijapur, as her condition had turned critical.
Dr Pujari said the oxygen in the cylinder ran out by the time the ambulance reached Tokapal village in Bastar and Kudiyam was declared dead on arrival by doctors of the Jagdalpur Medical College Hospital.
"Generally it requires one oxygen cylinder to shift patients from Bijapur to Jagdalpur. We will investigate how it got exhausted so quickly," Dr Pujari said.
When asked if a medical technician was travelling in the ambulance, Dr Pujari said that the hospital's sole 108 ambulance with a technician was on duty somewhere else and so Kudiyam was shifted in an ambulance without one.
"If the driver had contacted Bijapur health officials in time, they would have arranged for an oxygen cylinder from nearby ambulance services," he said.
The ambulance driver had reportedly contacted staff at Tokapals local government hospital for a replacement oxygen cylinder but was allegedly refused, Chamru Kudiyam, the child's father, said.
The girl's father alleged that negligence on the part of Bijapur district hospital led to his daughter's death.
"The oxygen exhausted in the cylinder when the ambulance was nearing Tokapal. The driver had tried to arrange for another cylinder from Tokapal hospital but staff there
refused. There was no technician in the ambulance either," Chamru told reporters. He also accused his child's ashram school authorities of not providing timely treatment to his daughter.
Bijapur Collector K D Kunjam said that he had directed the CMHO to probe the incident and submit a report.
He said that authorities at Matwada ashram school had also been asked to give an explanation about the treatment given to the child when she fell ill there.
courtesy : news18.com
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SC to hear plea on air pollution crisis in Delhi-NCR on Dec 17
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday said it will list for hearing on December 17 a plea related to worsening air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pamcholi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae, that though the preventive measures are there in place but the key issue was of their poor implementation by the authorities.
Singh said till this court directs something, the authorities do not comply with the protocols which are already there.
“This is coming up before a three judges bench on Wednesday. It will come up,” the CJI said.
Another lawyer referred to an application relating to the health issue of children, and said schools, despite the earlier orders, are holding outdoor sports activities.
“Despite the order of this court, Schools have found ways and means to have these sporting activities.. it is taking place. The CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) is again citing the order of this court,” the amicus also said.
“We know the problem and let us pass orders which can be complied with. There are some directions which can be forcibly imposed. In these urban metropolitan cities people have their own lifestyle. But the poor…,” the CJI said.
The amicus said the poor labourers are the worst ones to suffer.
Earlier the bench had said the plea against air pollution cannot be treated as a "customary" case to be listed only during the winter months only.
It had said the case will be taken twice in a month to find out short and long-term solutions to the menace.
Delhi on Monday choked under a thick blanket of smog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 498, which falls in the higher spectrum of 'severe' category.
The air quality was 'severe' at 38 stations while it was 'very poor' at two stations. Jahangirpuri, which recorded an AQI of 498, recorded the worst air quality amongst all 40 stations.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
The AQI in Delhi had climbed to 461 on Sunday and marked the city's most polluted day this winter and the second-worst December air quality day on record, as weak winds and low temperatures trapped pollutants close to the surface.
