Wadia Hospital closes its ICU after 2 deaths

Wadia Hospital in Parel has closed down its paediatric Intensive Care Unit for fumigation as two infants who were admitted there succumbed to swine flu on Saturday.

Wadia Hospital in Parel has closed down its paediatric Intensive Care Unit for fumigation as two infants who were admitted there succumbed to swine flu on Saturday.

HT Image

The hospital has also sent the throat swabs of all other children who were admitted at the unit to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for tests.

The hospital authorities were unavailable for comment on the death of eight-month-old Atharv Dongre and one-year-old Gaurav who died within a few hours of being transferred to Nair Hospital and Hiranandani Hospital respectively.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has instituted an inquiry into the deaths, as doctors at Wadia Hospital did not administer Tamiflu to the infants even after their throat swabs were taken.

Infants, pregnant women and those suffering from other ailments like diabetes are considered high-risk patients and should be been given Tamiflu immediately, city doctors have prescribed.

“We have demanded an explanation from Wadia Hospital authorities. We will take action accordingly,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar.

On Sunday, 23 more people tested positive, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the city to 959.

Over 170 people were screened.

Of them 99 were put on Tamiflu and 14 were admitted to hospitals across the city.

Five patients, who have been admitted to Kasturba and Nair Hospitals, are on ventilator.