Published On:Friday, 24 October 2014
Infants died for want of Oxygen
When flood water entered GBP hospital
Srinagar: Though the recent floods devastated everything leaving behind a long tale of death and destruction, a story of “nine unfortunate children” admitted in GB Pant hospital may go a long way to shake the state’s ailing health and medical education department.
Nine children died in the hospital between September 6 and September 7, because the hospital ran deficient of oxygen supply soon after it was hit by the flood.
“This hospital was never in a condition to sustain in such calamities. Nine children died in the hospital not because of the flood waters but due to the inadequate supply of oxygen available in the hospital. We ran short of supply only after some 14 hours,” official sources confirmed.
The committee constituted by the Supreme Court post floods in its report, a copy of which lies with the Kashmir Monitor, also revealed that nine children died in GB Pant hospital because the oxygen supply went off when flood water entered the hospital.
The report further reads that three doctors Dr Iram, Dr Sartaj and some PG students were also in the hospital at that time when flood water entered into the hospital round floor. “When water entered oxygen supply went off,” said these doctors in the report.
A top hospital official said the hospital was never ready for such catastrophe as it was already deficient of proper oxygen supply. “Against the requirement of 1000 Liters per minute (LPM), the oxygen concentrator plant has the capacity of only 446 LPM, much less than what is required. So in floods we were not able to continue with the oxygen supply. We ran short of the supply after 14 hours,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that the Kashmir Monitor had earlier reported in June 2013, that “major tragedy can be averted at GB Pant”, as the hospital’s much-needed Oxygen concentrator plant was never in a condition to provide adequate supply of oxygen. The same was witnessed during the September 7 flood.
When this newspaper carried the story earlier, at that time a doctor in the hospital had warned that if the capacity of the oxygen plant was not increased, it would one day lead to a big tragedy. And today the same was seen when nine children lost their lives while gasping for the oxygen but hospital ran deficient of the supply.
“The load is too much on this. Government should take serious notice of the problem,” said an official working in the oxygen section. He adds it will approximately cost some Rs 4.5 crore to expand the capacity of the plant.
Srinagar: Though the recent floods devastated everything leaving behind a long tale of death and destruction, a story of “nine unfortunate children” admitted in GB Pant hospital may go a long way to shake the state’s ailing health and medical education department.
Nine children died in the hospital between September 6 and September 7, because the hospital ran deficient of oxygen supply soon after it was hit by the flood.
“This hospital was never in a condition to sustain in such calamities. Nine children died in the hospital not because of the flood waters but due to the inadequate supply of oxygen available in the hospital. We ran short of supply only after some 14 hours,” official sources confirmed.
The committee constituted by the Supreme Court post floods in its report, a copy of which lies with the Kashmir Monitor, also revealed that nine children died in GB Pant hospital because the oxygen supply went off when flood water entered the hospital.
The report further reads that three doctors Dr Iram, Dr Sartaj and some PG students were also in the hospital at that time when flood water entered into the hospital round floor. “When water entered oxygen supply went off,” said these doctors in the report.
A top hospital official said the hospital was never ready for such catastrophe as it was already deficient of proper oxygen supply. “Against the requirement of 1000 Liters per minute (LPM), the oxygen concentrator plant has the capacity of only 446 LPM, much less than what is required. So in floods we were not able to continue with the oxygen supply. We ran short of the supply after 14 hours,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that the Kashmir Monitor had earlier reported in June 2013, that “major tragedy can be averted at GB Pant”, as the hospital’s much-needed Oxygen concentrator plant was never in a condition to provide adequate supply of oxygen. The same was witnessed during the September 7 flood.
When this newspaper carried the story earlier, at that time a doctor in the hospital had warned that if the capacity of the oxygen plant was not increased, it would one day lead to a big tragedy. And today the same was seen when nine children lost their lives while gasping for the oxygen but hospital ran deficient of the supply.
“The load is too much on this. Government should take serious notice of the problem,” said an official working in the oxygen section. He adds it will approximately cost some Rs 4.5 crore to expand the capacity of the plant.
