Dengue: Child death highlights govt hospital's negligence

Amid complaints of refusal to admit dengue patients by private hospitals, the death of six-year-old Aman Sharma has put a government hospital on the dock for alleged negligence in treating the boy.
The central government-run hospital, however, denied any negligence on its part and claimed "the patient's parents took away the child without informing the Safdarjung hospital authorities".
According to Aman's father, Manoj Sharma, his son was diagnosed with dengue at a private hospital in Srinivaspuri and then they took him to Safdarjung Hospital on September 9.
"The doctors at Safdarjung hospital said that our boy does not have dengue and he doesn't require admission. Also, as our son's condition was bit stable that time, we brought him home.

"But on Friday his condition worsened and we took him to Jeewan hospital in Maharani Bagh where he was admitted till Saturday night. At 2.30 AM the doctors there told us that his condition was critical and they do not have the equipment to handle such cases and thus we should shift him to a bigger hospital," said Aman's father.
The father alleged that they then tried getting admission in Max Saket, Moolchand and Batra, but they cited unavailability of beds following which they took the child to Safdarjung where he was admitted for couple of hours.

Seeing the child's condition deteriorate, the family then shifted him to Holy Family Hospital on Okhla Road where he tested positive for dengue and passed away on Sunday evening.

"Our complaint is against Safdarjung hospital because of which our son was without medication for around 24 hours. Doctors there told us that our son does not have dengue though we carried the report of a private hospital where he had tested positive of dengue.
Following the incident, the Union Health Ministry has asked the Safdarjung Hospital authorities to enquire into the matter. Safdarjung Hospital issued a press statement, saying that Aman was admitted to the hospital on September 13 at 4.44 PM and was transfused two units of platelets.
"He was transfused two units of platelets and was sent to ward no 18 where the doctors examined him and prescribed medicines. The patient's parents took away the child without informing the Safdarjung hospital authorities. An enquiry is underway into the incident," said the statement.

Commenting over the allegations of hospital staff sending the patient back home on September 9, Medical Superintendent Dr A K Rai said, "As per our records, no patient by this name had come to us on 9th. We have verified.