4-year-old boy dies at B’luru hospital, parents allege medical negligence

BENGALURU: Close on the heels of the incident where a pregnant woman carrying twins died after she was turned away by a hospital in Tumakuru, a four-year-old boy died due to alleged medical negligence at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in the city.

The distraught parents.

David, a resident of Jalahalli, admitted his son Darwin at the institute on Sunday last the father. “My son was doing well when I brought him to the hospital. Now he is no more. We are poor people and cannot affort treatment at private hospitals. The hospital authorities are to be blamed for his death. They play with the lives of people, We need justice”, he demanded.

David had admitted his son last Sunday.

The boy’s mother said, “Two years ago our son had seizures. We brought him to the same hospital for treatment and he had recovered well. About a week ago, we admitted him here again as he had fever, cold and cough. For three days, they gave him antibiotics and on the fourth day, they suggested lumbar puncture (LP) proceducre to take out fluid and test whether there is any infection in the brain. I told my husband about it. Though he was against it, I had hopes that my son will recover.

The boy’s mother speaking to the media at the hospital on Saturday.

“Around 4.30 pm on Friday, Dr Ramakrishna, a MD first-year student, told me to bring my son for the procedure. I put him on the bed and I was told to wait outside for 10 minutes. Another MD student, Dr Anagha, was with him. After some time, she told me to take the child. We took the child and put him on the bed in the ward. Two minutes later Dr Anagha came and said they need to do a culture test for which they needed a blood sample. She couldn’t find a pulse and by then, my son was not breathing. They then moved him to the emergency ward”, she added.

While the parents have alleged that their son was treated by trainee doctors, the hospital authorities have remained mum.