Jaipur: A Rajasthan government committee found that Kota’s JK Lone Hospital is short of beds and its functioning needs improvement but cleared the doctors there of any lapses over the recent death of infants admitted there, an official said Tuesday.
At least 91 infants have died at the government hospital during the past month, triggering criticism by the Opposition and a visit by a team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
The three-member state government committee of doctors was sent to investigate the 10 deaths that took place December 23 and 24.
Earlier, the NCPCR had served as show cause notice to the state government. “Pigs were found roaming inside the campus of the hospital,” its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo had said in it.
But the committee ruled that the 10 infants who died on the two days were given the right treatment.
“The committee submitted that eight out of the 10 infants were referred from other hospitals in a critical condition and two were born at the hospital itself,” Rajasthan Medical Education Secretary Vaibhav Galriya said.
“Due treatment was given to all of them. The committee had checked medical records. Whoever was to be put on ventilator, the required treatment was provided,” he added.
Galriya said the committee was instructed not only to look into the cause of deaths but also the functioning of the hospital.
“The committee said the hospital is working at 150 per cent of its capacity. The number of beds is less than the flow of patients. Similar is the situation at the ICUs as well. There is a need to increase the number of beds,” informed Galriya.
The state government committee included Dr Amarjeet Mehta, Dr Rambabu Sharma and Dr Sunil Bhatnagar.
A panel of BJP MPs also visited the hospital n Tuesday. The group included Lok Sabha MPs Jaskaur Meena, Locket Chatterjee and Bharati Pawar, and Rajya Sabha MP Kanta Kardam. Two state BJP leaders also met the staff Monday.
It should be stated here that 940 infants have died at the hospital in the last 12 months.
PTI
