Three cases of ‘negligence’ rock Rippon hospital
Kuldeep Chauhan
Tribune News Service
Shimla, May 6
Nirmala Devi was in for a shock when she learnt that her newborn had suffered a fracture in his left arm during delivery. Doctors at Deen Dayal Zonal Hospital (Rippon) said the baby was overweight (4.2 kg) and that his shoulder had got stuck, leading to the fracture.
In the second case, Savita (21) from Kachat village was admitted to the gynae wing of the hospital on May 2. She was 37-week pregnant. She complained of labour pain and a gynaecologist examined her at 10.30 pm on Wednesday. The doctor said the woman and the child were safe. Around 4.30 am, her family found her unconscious and called the doctor, who declared the two dead at 5.30 am.
In the third case, a pregnant woman from Fagu, who was admitted to the hospital early this week, delivered a stillborn. She developed some complications as her uterus got ruptured and the baby died of ‘strangulation’, said sources.
The Tribune team found that the zonal hospital had one operation theater (OT) on the second floor. There were no trolleys. Attendants and ward boys carried patients piggyback.
The gynae wing does not have a round-the-clock gynaecologist.
A general physician is on night duty, while three gynaecologists are called in case of an emergency.
There is no ventilator or emergency care, not even the X-ray facility at night. “A patient is either referred to Kamla Nehru Child and Mother Hospital or the IGMC,” said the doctors.
CMO-cum-in charge of the hospital Dr Ranjan Rao claimed there was no negligence on the part of the doctors or the authorities in the three cases. “We have formed an internal committee to probe the cases,” she added.
The attendants and family members said there were no gynaecologists on night duty and deliveries were being done by nurses.
Dr Rao admitted that the gynae wing lacked the supporting staff. “It has two nurses and two ward boys. We need 10 nurses and five ward boys. A proposal will be sent to the Health Department,” she added.
