Allegation by the parents of a newborn baby that their child had died after being attacked by ants led to some tense moments at the paediatric wing located in the Old Government General Hospital (OGGH) in Hanumanpet here on Monday.
However, the GGH doctors said the premature and underweight baby had developed Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) and died. The doctors refuted charges that there were ants in the Intensive Care Unit where the infant was kept on a ventilator. The District Collector said the baby died because it was sick.
The allegations of the parents Vemuri Lakshmi and Anjenayulu of Penumaka Village gained credence in the light of the death of another newborn after being attacked by rats in the Guntur Government General Hospital a while ago.
Paediatric Chief of the hospital M.A. Rehman said the child was born premature, that is, before 34 weeks. One of the complications for such babies was RDS. The mother was admitted on Friday and a caesarean was performed the same day. Within a short while of delivery, the baby developed RDS and was put on a Continuous Positive Airway pressure (CPAP) machine. On Sunday night, the baby developed pulmonary haemorrhage and had to be put on ventilator. Despite all efforts, the baby died at 6.40 a.m., he said. The parents and relatives took away the body, but returned an hour later claiming that the child had died after it was attacked by ants. They staged a protest in front of the paediatric block and gave their version to the media channels that arrived there.
Political support:
The atmosphere at the ward became tense after YSRCP leader Kolusu Parthasarathy and former Congress MLA Malladi Vishnu arrived at the hospital. The child’s relatives and others forced their way into the RMO’s room along with the leaders.
The leaders met Deputy Resident Medical Officer Y Ramesh and Dr Rehman and sought details from them. The relatives produced a mobile phone with a picture of the child. The party leaders asked the doctors to explain what appeared like insect bites on the child’s chest. The doctors said they were not ant bites, but marks left by finger nails. The infant suffered the nail marks while the doctors were trying to resuscitate it during its last moments, they explained.
Mr. Parthasarathy said the negligence of the doctors was clear and that action should be taken after a thorough enquiry.
He said he would lodge a complaint with the police.
District Collector Babu A. visited the hospital and said the baby had died because its condition was critical and not because of ants.
