New Delhi: As many as 12 infants were left gasping for breath after theft of an oxygen supply pipe at the Rajgarh district hospital in Madhya Pradesh. As the oxygen supply pipe was stolen, it disrupted the oxygen flow to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). As a result, the babies struggled to breathe.
The incident occurred on late Tuesday night and triggered panic among hospital staff. The incident also raises concerns about security in facilities providing neonatal care.
A PTI report pointed out that the stolen pipe, a copper segment which measured 10 to 15 feet, was crucial for supplying oxygen to the NICU. When the flow stopped, newborns in the unit began to cry, which sent an alarm to the medical staff to the emergency. Besides, the NICU’s inbuilt alarm system was triggered.
Medical staff swung into action and managed to avert a big tragedy by linking a jumbo oxygen cylinder to the system, that helped restore the critical supply.
‘Thanks to the backup system’
Rajgarh chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr Kiran Wadia said that the oxygen supply was restored immediately. “Higher authorities have been informed about the incident, and we managed the crisis effectively thanks to the backup system,” Wadia added. “The staff acted swiftly, and the backup system ensured there was no loss of life,” an official pointed out.
When the incident took place, 20 newborns were undergoing treatment in the NICU, with 12 dependent on oxygen.
In August 2017, at least 30 children had died in Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das Medical College due to shortage of oxygen supply. The incident happened after the liquid oxygen supply of the hospital was cut since it failed to pay dues to the supplier.
In May of this year, a fire at Baby Care New Born Hospital in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar area claimed the lives of six newborns and caused severe burns to five others. The hospital owner and the doctor on duty were arrested by the police following the incident.