‘KEM short-circuit a mere accident, can’t blame BMC’

Even as a two-month-old child, Prince Pannelal Rajbhar, who suffered 22% burns as the ECG machine nodes melted after a short-circuit at the municipal King Edward

Even as a two-month-old child, Prince Pannelal Rajbhar, who suffered 22% burns as the ECG machine nodes melted after a short-circuit at the municipal King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital last week, could lose his right arm, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials have ruled out compensation, terming it a “mere accident”.

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The infant was admitted to the hospital last Sunday, as he was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease and pneumonia in their hometown, Varanasi. He was kept on oxygen support in the paediatric ICU and ECG nodes were attached to his chest. On Wednesday, around 2.15am, a short-circuit caused the nodes to melt, burning the right side of his body, including his face.

“There is no provision for compensation in such cases. It is just an accident where the corporation can’t be held responsible,” said Dr Ashwini Joshi, assistant municipal commissioner (health). When asked about the inquiry report, she said it would take more than a week.

Ravi Raja, leader of opposition in the BMC, said, “If the BMC has decided it is a mere accident, what is the point of calling for an inquiry? The family should be paid compensation.”

Dr MS Kamath, honorary secretary of Consumer Guidance Society of India, said, “If the incident has happened inside a hospital and a patient suffered burns from an equipment, it is the negligence of the hospital.”

Despite repeated calls and messages, BMC commissioner Praveen Pardeshi didn’t respond.

Meanwhile, although the doctors are cleaning the wound regularly, the infection is spreading and can even prove life-threatening, if the hand is not amputated, as the child’s immunity is

low. “The child’s mid-arm is severely burnt. To stop the infection from spreading, we might have to amputate it, as skin-grafting may not be possible,” said a senior doctor from the plastic surgery department of the hospital.

Skin-grafting is a surgical procedure where skin from one part of the body is transplanted to the one where the protective upper-layer of the skin is lost owing to burns, skin diseases or accidental trauma.

“In electrical burns, amputation is very common. In deep burns, especially among infants, the arm may lose blood supply and hence amputation is needed. I can’t comment on this case as I haven’t seen the burn,” said Dr Sunil Keshwani, director of National Burns Centre.

Doctors may be able to save the child’s burnt right ear through skin-grafting.

“He has developed rust on the right ear. Once we remove it properly, we can perform skin-grafting,” said the doctor.

Dr Vinita Puri, head of the plastic surgery department of the hospital, said, “Our first priority is to keep the spread of infection in check.”