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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Kerala Assembly pays homage to former PM Manmohan Singh
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Kerala Assembly on Monday paid homage to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who died last month, and described him as a unique personality, able administrator, brilliant economist, and a determined patriot.
Cutting across politics, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer and other leaders hailed the contribution of Singh in various fields.
The 13th session of the 15th Kerala Assembly, which began on Friday, was adjourned on Monday after paying tribute to the former Prime Minister.
During his speech, Chief Minister Vijayan recalled that apart from being the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh was known in many capacities as an internationally renowned economist, exemplary teacher, and eminent bureaucrat, and as the country's finance minister.
There may not be another person who has held all the pivotal positions that shape India's economic policy, he said.
The CM especially mentioned about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Right to Information Act launched by Singh's government.
Though the CPI(M) had some differences of opinion about certain policies of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, his stand for protecting constitutional values and the democratic system of the country was commendable, Vijayan further said.
Through the demise of Singh, the country had lost a gentle and determined patriot and a brilliant economist who firmly believed in secular values, he said.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan recalled various initiatives implemented by Singh in finding out solutions to the problems faced by common people.
He said Singh was a leader who strongly upheld the secular and democratic values and the one who had unwavering commitment and dedication towards the country.
During the address in the House, the Congress leader also said that Singh had courageously implemented the economic reforms in the country despite criticisms, and it had helped the nation progress financially.
Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer also said that the country had lost a brilliant economist and a determined statesman.
Singh's contributions to nation building as a finance minister and a Prime Minister went beyond his financial expertise, Shamseer added.
Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, on December 26 at the age of 92.
