Negligence of doctors leads to death of two babies

Pithapuram:  Relatives of two babies, including a still born baby, demonstrated in the town on Thursday alleging negligence on the part of doctors of two hospitals, including a government hospital, in the town demanding action against the erring.On a account of a dharna parading the b ody of the still-born baby, there was a six-hour traffic jam in the town from 12noon. 

In another case, a week-old baby who developed jaundice soon after birth died on Wednesday on account of the alleged negligence of doctors at a private nursing home in administering saline to the baby. 

The relatives of the baby went to the extent of throwing stones on the private hospital, behaving in a high-handed manner with the hospital staff and and staged a sit in on the road in front of the hospital along with the body of the baby vowing not to relent till justice was not done to them. The police had to intervene and disperse them. The angry relatives relented when the police registered a case against Dr Nagaraju of a private hospital. 

According to reports, Kotta Kanaka Mahalakshmi of Kondevaram of the mandal visited the Government hospital for delivery with 36 weeks of pregnancy. The doctors who examined her returned her home saying that there is still time for her to deliver the baby. 

  She developed labour pains once again on Wednesday and got admitted to the government hospital. On Thursday, doctors at the hospital sensed that the situation is slipping out of hand and referred her to the government hospital at Kakinada, where doctors declared that the baby had died in the womb three days ago. They conducted surgery on the mother and removed the baby.

The relatives staged a rasta roko on the road in front of the hospital along with the body of the baby condemning the negligence of the doctors. On account of the protest movement of the vehicles on the road was affected for six hours. 

In another case, Bajinka Aruna of Velampeta in the town delivered a female baby a week ago in the private hospital near Uppada bus station. The doctors treated the baby for jaundice and promised the mother to discharge her on Thursday. 

On Wednesday, the baby was administered saline. But the condition of the baby turned critical. The parents were asked to take the baby to the government hospital at Kakinada, where doctors declared the baby as dead on arrival. Relatives attribute the death to the air bubbles in the saline bottle. 

The irate relatives paraded the baby and staged dharna in front of the hospital till wee hours of the Thursday. They went to the extent of resorting to vandalism. The police had to intervene and register a case against Dr Nagaraju of the hospital. 

By Saride Nageswara Rao