12 newborns face breathing difficulty as thieves steal oxygen pipe at Madhya Pradesh hospital

Rajgarh (MP): The theft of an oxygen supply pipe at the state-run Rajgarh district hospital in Madhya Pradesh left 12 newborns in discomfort with breathing difficulties, officials said on Wednesday.

The theft of the 10 to 15 feet long copper pipe by unidentified persons on Tuesday late at night disrupted the oxygen supply to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), triggering panic as newborns started crying due to breathing difficulty, officials said.

As the inbuilt alarm system in the NICU started beeping, medical staff scrambled to restore the oxygen supply. An official said they managed the potentially threatening situation by swiftly attaching a backup jumbo oxygen cylinder to the system.

Paediatrician Dr RS Mathur rushed to the hospital after medical staffers informed him about the situation. The official said they restored the oxygen supply by deploying a jumbo cylinder, avoiding a potential tragedy.

Rajgarh district's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Kiran Wadia said the oxygen supply was restored swiftly. He added that higher authorities have been informed about the incident.

An official said 20 newborns were treated in the NICU, including 12 who were oxygen-dependent, when the incident unfolded.

"The crisis was managed thanks to the backup," he added.