KEM Hospital tragedy: Family performs infant’s last rites

The family of Prince Rajbhar, the two-month-old who died on Friday after sustaining burns in a mishap at King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, performed his last rites on Monday.

The family accepted two cheques of ₹5 lakh each from the hospital.

The rites were performed at the Bhoiwada crematorium in Parel. Some relatives of the in-house patients of the hospital and some locals accompanied the family.

Prince’s family had earlier refused to take his body from the hospital, demanding a thorough investigation into the mishap.

“I didn’t want to claim the body until the civic body found the person responsible for the incident. But my wife insisted that we take his body,” said Pannelal Rajbhar, the child’s father.

“I can’t get my son back , but I don’t want any other parent to go through this. I want the corporation to take stringent action against those responsible,” said Rajbhar.

The family accepted the compensation from the dean of the hospital, Dr Hemant Deshmukh.

“It was earlier decided that the family would get two separate cheques of ₹5 lakh each. The first cheque was for the child’s immediate treatment. The second was to be given after Prince turned an adult. However, as he is no more, we have given the full amount to his family,” said Deshmukh.

Prince was admitted to the paediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital on November 3 to treat a congenital heart disease and pneumonia.

On November 7, a short-circuit caused the nodes of an ECG machine attached to the child to melt. Prince suffered 22% burns and his left forearm had to be amputated on November 11. He suffered a cardiac arrest on Friday.

The post-mortem report had revealed that Prince had died owing to septicemia caused by the deep and superficial burns, which led to the cardiac arrest.

Dr Ramesh Bharmal, director of major civic hospitals, has submitted the preliminary findings of the incident to the health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). “The ECG machine and monitor have been seized by the police. So we could only submit an assessment of the statements taken from the witnesses. The final decision will be taken by the senior authority,” he added.