‘Foul play’ in baby’s death at Delhi’s Rao Tula Ram Hospital, no shortage of oxygen: Report

The newborn girl, who died Tuesday early morning at Delhi government’s Rao Tularam hospital, had been suffocated, says a report submitted to the Delhi government health secretary. This comes weeks after the Gorakhpur incident in which several children allegedly died for the want of oxygen.

The newborn girl, who died Tuesday early morning at Delhi government’s Rao Tularam hospital, had been suffocated, says a report submitted to the Delhi government health secretary.The report suggests “foul play” by the parents and a medico-legal case has been registered.

A protest against the death of 72 children who died in a Gorakhpur hospital after the oxygen supply was allegedly cut. A Delhi couple had also cited the same reason behind the Tuesday death of their child at Rao Tula Ram Hospital. However, a government report has suggested that there was no shortage of oxygen. (Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

The family had alleged that lack of oxygen at the hospital was the cause of the death.

This comes weeks after the Gorakhpur incident in which several children allegedly died for the want of oxygen.

The baby was born on Monday afternoon and had been healthy to be shifted to the ward with her mother. No life-support system was needed.

At around 8 pm, the parents reported no movement in the baby, and the baby died at 3:30 am despite resuscitation measures by the doctor on duty.

“When the baby was taken for resuscitation, the duty paediatrician noticed that the baby’s face had cyanosed (turned blue due to lack of oxygen), but the peripheral and central parts of the body were pale. This indicates suffocation,” said Dr Sangeeta Basu, medical superintendent of Rao Tula Ram hospital.

The report by the medical superintendent also said that meconium (early stool of infants) was present on the child’s genitals, suggesting that the baby had died a while back.

“We suspect that the family was involved with the death of the baby because it was perfectly healhy in the afternoon. The woman was already a mother to a girl child so that might be the reason,” said Dr Basu.

The report also said that there was no shortage of oxygen at the hospital, as the family had suggested.