Kota kids died from hypothermia, the hospital lacked equipment: Report

JAIPUR: The sorry state of Kota's J.K. Lon Hospital is reflected in a government-appointed panel's report which shows that around 105 children died in a span of over a month due to cold shivering in the hospital as it lacked everything a normal hospital should have.

The committee formed by the Rajasthan government to probe the lacunae in the hospital resulting in the deaths of kids has confirmed in its report that infants died due to hypothermia, a medical emergency that occurs when the body temperature falls below 95 F (35 C). The normal body temperature is 98.6 F (37 C).

Even as the kids in the hospital continued to die in the biting winter cold, the hospital did not have enough stocks of lifesaving equipment, said the report.

The newborns should have a body temperature of 36.5-degrees Celcius; therefore they were kept on warmers where their temperature stays normal. However, as the hospital lacked functional warmers, their body temperature continued to plummet.

The report said that 22 nebulizers out of 28 were dysfunctional, 81 infusion pumps out of 111 were not working and the same was the story with para monitors and pulse oxymeters.

What made the matters worse was the absence of oxygen pipeline in the hospital due to which oxygen was supplied to kids with the help of cylinders.

Surprisingly, the ICU was not fumigated for months, the report said.

"The children continued to die in December as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot celebrated the launch of 'Nirogi Rajasthan' campaign in the state," said former health minister Rajendra Rathore.

Hospital officials said most pediatricians of JK Lon Hospital have been posted at Kota's New Medical College. "The nursing employees, already under-staffed, prefer to stay idle while ward boys rule the roost in the J.K. Lon Hospital," said an official.

Also, the hospital staff continued with the whitewash inwards where infants suffering from pneumonia were admitted for oxygen.

According to sources, there was no record of 40 heaters purchased for kids. A hospital official said despite Rs 6-crore funds lying with the hospital, no purchase has been made. (IANS)

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