Kin say oxygen supply break caused patient death at Rajasthan hospital, authorities deny charge

Kota, Jul 3 (PTI) A 65-year-old cancer patient died at the Bundi district government hospital, with her family alleging that it was caused by an interruption in oxygen supply due to power failure, a charge denied by the hospital.

As the family created a ruckus following the Wednesday late-night incident, the hospital authorities clarified that oxygen supply is maintained through a centralised system that has nothing to do with power failure.

The hospital's Principal Medical Officer (PMO), Dr Laxminarayan Meena, however, accepted that there was a power failure and the auto-generator could not be started automatically.

Shantibai Mali was suffering from oral cavity cancer and was admitted to the female medical ward in Bundi district hospital on Tuesday evening.

Her family members claimed Shantibai was normal early on Wednesday night but deteriorated suddenly, allegedly following a failure in power supply in the hospital at around 11 pm that interrupted the oxygen supply.

In a video, apparently shot by a person at the hospital, a kin of the patient is purportedly heard saying, "She died in deep anguish due to interruption in oxygen supply caused by power failure in the hospital. The medical staff were requested to start the generator, but they responded after half an hour." However, Dr Meena refuted the allegation of negligence and interruption in oxygen supply.

"Oxygen supply is maintained through a centralised system that remains unaffected by any failure in power supply and other crises," he said.

There were other patients on oxygen support in the ward, and they too would have suffered or complained had there been an interruption in supply, the officer said.

Dr Meena said there was an interruption in the power supply for around an hour, and the auto-generator could not start automatically, following which an on-duty electrician was called.

He also said that the medical and health department's Kota division joint director has sought a factual report on the matter.

An officer at Bundi city police station said the family members, distraught by the death, caused a ruckus in the hospital over a power failure.

However, they did not submit any written complaint, he added. PTI COR NSD NSD