Four more persons in the Capital have died of dengue on Thursday, taking the toll this season past 20. The latest victims include a 12-year-old girl, two boys aged 11 and 18 and a 37-year-old woman.
While three of the deaths were recorded at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, one death was reported at Max Hospital in Vaishali.
Family of Rishab, 18, said the private hospital shifted the boy unnecessarily from one branch to the other, which deteriorated his condition further.
They also claimed the hospital kept them in the dark about the boy’s critical condition, an allegation the hospital denied. Rishab was a Class 10 student of Government Boys Senior Secondary School, New Seemapuri.
The boy was first taken to Gupta Multispeciaility Hospital in Vivek Vihar, said Sulander Pal, the boy’s maternal uncle.
“He was admitted in the hospital on September 14. Doctors told us to arrange for five units of platelets. Then around 2:30 am on Monday, the doctors said his condition was critical and he should be shifted to a better hospital,” said Pal.
From hospital to hospital
On Wednesday, Rishab was transferred to Max Hospital, Patparganj. “He was being treated at the hospital but then they suddenly told us he needs to be shifted to Max Vaishali. He was denied ventilator support at Patparganj. They also arbitrarily charged us for the few hours he was treated at Patparganj. We then took the boy to Vaishali. We have spent over Rs 1.45 lakh at the three hospitals,” said Pal.
Rishab died on Thursday evening. A statement issued by Max Hospitals said the boy was shifted as no critical care beds were available and the boy’s critical condition was explained to the family.
“With the consent of the attendant, the patient was shifted to Max Vaishali in an advanced cardiac life support ambulance. The patient was admitted in ICU of Max Vaishali and remained critical with oral and nasal bleeding,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital authorities confirmed three deaths. Mohammad Shehwaj, 11, a resident of Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh and Kiran Kumari, 12, from Nangloi succumbed to dengue shock syndrome on Thursday.
“Both the patients were brought in critical condition to the hospital on Thursday,” said Dr V K Sinha, a hospital spokesperson. “Rahisha, 37, a resident of Dwarka who was brought to the hospital on September 11, died of dengue shock syndrome and multi-organ failure on Thursday,” said Dr Sinha.
The hospital saw 554 dengue cases and 905 suspected cases till Friday. On Thursday, deaths of Neha Mathur, 3 and Sabreen Fatima, 9 were also recorded.
A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the death of Neha Mathur whose family had claimed negligence on part of the doctor at the state-run Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital. The girl later died at Saket City Hospital.
Overcrowding was reported across city hospitals. Several government hospitals referred patients to private hospitals who would be treated for free even in the normal category as per an agreement with the state government.