Post News Network
Nabarangpur, Feb 16: A Class IX girl of Nabarangpur district died Monday because of the delay in provision of treatment to her, in the latest case of medical negligence.
The deceased, identified as Gitanjali Amanatya, daughter of Mohan Harijan of ward no. 2 of Nabarangpur town, was admitted to the Nabarangpur district headquarters hospital Sunday night.
The girl’s condition became critical as the haemoglobin count in her blood was very low. Members of the girl’s family collected a unit of blood after doctors advised that she be given blood. However, there were no doctors in the hospital at night and the staff nurse on duty did not administer the blood.
Tension flared up at the hospital, with the family members of the patient creating a ruckus over the delay in administering blood.
Some mediapersons who learnt of the incident informed additional district medical officer Birla Prasad Purohit. Following Purohit’s intervention, a doctor and nurse came to the girl’s bed and administer blood to her.
The doctors referred the girl to the Koraput district headquarters hospital Monday morning but the hospital authorities did not provide any ambulance to shift her.
The family members of the girl arranged an ambulance to take her to Koraput and asked the hospital authorities to provide an oxygen cylinder as the girl was in very critical condition. However, the hospital authorities did not do so. The oxygen cylinder that was there in the ambulance was exhausted midway to Koraput because of which the girl’s condition deteriorated.
Doctors at the Koraput district headquarters hospital raised questions about the decision of the Nabarangpur doctors to send her to Koraput. There was no justification for shifting her as the same facilities were available in Nabarangpur, they claimed.
The doctors at Koraput advised the girl’s family members to admit her to the hospital at 11 am but the Class IX student breathed her last before she was admitted.
The incident has raised questions over the services being provided in the Nabarangpur hospital.
