Hospital cites lack of staff for baby's death

The Vani Vilas Hospital, which has been held responsible for the death of 20-day-old baby, has attributed the tragic incident to staff shortage.

The hospital authorities claimed on Friday that the hospital lacks manpower due to which patients don’t get timely treatment.

Resident Medical Officer Dr Madhusudan said: “Many of the kids being treated at the neonatal ward come from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. There are just 40 beds, and hence, we suggest most of the kids coming from other nearby taluks to go to Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health so that they receive timely treatment.”

“We have around 60 nurses in the neonatal ward and we need at least 100 more so that we can treat the kids referred to the hospital from other taluks and districts.
There are six ventilators, but two of them are non-functional,” he told Deccan Herald. Following the death of the baby on May 30 morning, Health Minister U T Khader and Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Rudrappa Patil visited the hospital in the evening.

Dismissing the reports about the ministers giving a six-month deadline to improve the situation, the hospital authorities maintained: “They just told us that they will improve the existing facilities and enhance the number of staffs in the coming days.”
Chikkaballapur residents Venkatesh and Sushila had bought their baby to the Vani Vilas Hospital on May 29. The baby was suffering from meningitis, but was referred to Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health. However, the parents refused and stayed on the hospital campus. On Wednesday evening, the 20-day-old girl was taken for treatment by Vani Vilas hospital authorities, but was declared dead Thursday morning.