Infant with head injuries dies at NIMHANS, parents allege delay in treatment

Child with head injuries dies after alleged delay in treatment at NIMHANS

A one-and-a-half year old child with head injuries who was rushed from Hassan to NIMHANS here has died. The parents have accused the premier hospital of delay in treatment. The boy’s parents have alleged that they were made to wait for over one hour at NIMHANS to admit him.

Infant with head injuries dies at NIMHANS, parents allege delay in treatment

The incident took place on Wednesday, and the hospital in its statement issued on Thursday said they had explained to the patient's family that the prognosis was "poor", based on clinical and radiological findings, and that the patient is unlikely to improve with treatment. The statement said that the hospital had also informed the parents that a ventilator bed was unavailable.

"Patient had severe bradycardia (slow heart rate) and (went into) cardiac arrest at 3 PM and could not be revived despite best efforts," the hospital said. According to the NIMHANS statement, the male child who had fallen from a height of four feet was taken to Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences on Tuesday at 7 PM. The infant had suffered severe brain injury, and as the prognosis was poor, the parents were advised not to shift the child to National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), it said. However, the child was brought to NIMHANS in an ambulance on ventilator support at around 2:30 PM on Wednesday, it added. Explaining the medical condition of the child and the clinical investigation done, NIMHANS said the patient received supportive measures.