ECG machine mishap: KEM to waive infant’s test charges

A day after a two-month-old baby sustained 22% burns in an accident inside the paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Parel,

A day after a two-month-old baby sustained 22% burns in an accident inside the paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) at King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Parel, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which runs the hospital, has said it will waive the medical expenses for the infant’s treatment.

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Prince Pannelal Rajbhar had been brought to Mumbai from Varanasi, and was admitted to the hospital on Sunday to treat a severe heart condition. He was given piped oxygen and electrocardiogram (ECG) nodes were attached to his chest. Around 2.15am on Wednesday, a short circuit caused the nodes to melt, burning the right side of his body, including his face. There were 12 other children in the ICU, all of whom are unhurt.

Rajbhar’s condition is stable now and he is responding favourably to treatment.

“We have kept him on antibiotics for pneumonia. After four to five days, we would perform a scan to see the development. We would then take a call on the second line of treatment,” said Dr Mukesh Agarwal, head of the hospital’s paediatric department.

About the hospital’s decision to finance Rajbhar’s treatment, Agarwal said, “The treatment at the hospital is already free for patients. But the minimal charges required for X-ray or blood procurement have been excused.”

Sitaram Rajbhar, the baby’s uncle, said they have not been informed about compensation. “We haven’t been told about compensation, but doctors told us that the hospital wouldn’t levy any treatment charges,” he said.

BMC doesn’t have any rules for compensations in such accidents. However, Ravi Raja, leader of the Opposition in the BMC, has written to the municipal commissioner, demanding a probe into the incident by an independent agency and compensation for the child’s family. “In the past also, we have received several complaints of short circuits in other hospitals. We have asked the BMC commissioner to revamp the wiring system of all the age-old hospitals,” said Raja.

Dr Saeeda Khan, member of BMC’s health committee, said, “This could have turned fatal… By their negligence, they are putting so many lives at risk.”