Cops seize KEM Hospital’s monitor and ECG machine

As part of its investigation into the incident at KEM Hospital which led to an infant suffering serious burns, Bhoiwada police on Thursday seized an ECG machine

As part of its investigation into the incident at KEM Hospital which led to an infant suffering serious burns, Bhoiwada police on Thursday seized an ECG machine and monitor from the hospital.

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Bhoiwada police on Wednesday had filed a first information report (FIR) under section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or person safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The police on Thursday sent a letter to the dean of KEM Hospital, asking about the working procedure followed by the staff and those responsible for the maintenance of the machine and the ICU.

“We will also take statements of the warden, nurse and doctors who were present in the ward and of those who came after they heard about the fire. We will match the statements and conclude with a report and take action against those responsible behind the negligence,” said an officer from Bhoiwada police station.

In the complaint filed on Wednesday, Pannalal Rajbhar said that on November 7, his two-month-old son Prince was in KEM Hospital’s paediatric intensive care unit (ICU), in bed number 9. He was undergoing treatment for a congenital heart disease and was hooked to an ECG machine.

At around 2:50 am, a nurse alerted authorities to a fire inside the ICU, caused by a short circuit in a wire connected to Prince’s ECG monitor’s wire. Prince suffered 22% burn injuries on his left side.

The ECG machine and monitor has been seized by the police, and will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

The police has also asked the Mumbai Fire Brigade and BEST for a report on the cause of the fire and short circuit. On November 7, the fire in the paediatric ICU of the hospital was not reported to the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB).

“We had conducted the fire safety audit of the hospital a few months back and made some recommendations as required. Now, we have asked the hospital to submit their reports with the suggested changes,” said chief fire officer Prabhat Rahangdale.

After considering the reports, the fire department will take the necessary action.

The dean of KEM Hospital, Dr Hemant Deshmukh told HT, “We are collating the report and will submit it at the earliest.

Meanwhile, a group of municipal corporators submitted a letter to the additional municipal commissioner (health), seeking a policy of compensation for patients in cases of negligence by public hospitals.

Corporator Ashraf Azmi from Ward L said that hospitals need to be made accountable to ensure that mishaps do not take place. “We have asked the officials to form a policy in which the contractors concerned would be obligated to compensate patients in case of negligence. And it would be the civic body’s responsibility to arrange the compensation,” he said.

In a previous case, 32-year-old Rajesh Maru died after being sucked into an MRI machine at BYL Nair Hospital in January 2018. His family petitioned the court, after which the BMC was asked to compensate them.