Eight-month-old Atharva Dongre, who succumbed on Saturday early morning, was transferred to the Nair Hospital in a critical condition by doctors of Wadia Hospital.
The civic administration has labelled the death of two children, who had tested positive for influenza H1N1, as “negligence” on the part of the Jerbai Wadia hospital for children in Parel, and ordered a probe. The hospital allegedly delayed sending throat swabs and giving Tamiflu.
Eight-month-old Atharva Dongre, who succumbed on Saturday early morning, was transferred to the Nair Hospital in a critical condition by doctors of Wadia Hospital. He had been admitted at the Wadia Hospital on September 3. But, his condition worsened after he developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and had to be put on ventilator on September 7.
Thereafter, his throat swab was collected but despite showing clinical symptoms of swine flu, the hospital authorities did not administer Tamiflu as per the standard protocol.
However, worse was when he had tested positive for swine flu, the hospital allegedly suggested that Dongre should be shifted to the Nair hospital. Crucial five or more days were wasted in administering Tamiflu to Dongre as he got the doses only after he was brought to Nair Hospital.
“It looks like a clear case of negligence on the part of Wadia hospital,” said executive health officer Dr Jayaraj Thanekar. Coincidentally, even one-year-old Gaurav Ghai, the other deceased child was put on ventilator on September 7, the same day as Dongre. Their positive reports too reached the Wadia hospital on the same day i.e. September 11.
Bhiwandi resident Ghai’s throat samples were sent to the Haffkine Institute on September 8. He too was allegedly not administered Tamiflu by the doctors at Wadia Hospital.
Strangely, Ghai was shifted out of Wadia and taken to the far-off Hiranandani hospital at Powai instead of Nair hospital that was equipped to treat swine flu cases. Ghai was administered Tamiflu only at Nair hospital but he succumbed within hours.
Additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar-Patankar said, “We have asked the Directorate of Medical Education and Research to look into all the facts.” She added that there was clearly an issue of time lag. “Two patients were taken to the hospital in time but there was a delay in administering Tamiflu,” she said.
Despite several attempts, authorities of the Wadia Hospital could not be reached for any comment on the allegations. A hospital insider however informed that the paediatric intensive care unit of the hospital has been shut down for two days for fumigation.
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