VIJAYAWADA: How equipped is the Dr N.T.R Government General Hospital (GGH) to treat a child bitten by a dog? If the sequence of events that took place in the hospital on Sunday morning is any indication the hospital lacks the system to do even that.
Five-year-old G.Syam was attacked by a pack of stray dogs while he was going to toilet in the street in front of his house in Rotary Nagar near Kabela centre. The dogs which were more than three in number bit the child at several places. The calf muscle of the left leg was ripped off and was hanging by a ligment, there were bite mark on the right thigh and hand, the chest and also on the neck. One of the dogs had gripped the child by the neck.
The father of the child who works as a helper in a tender coconut shop rushed the child to the GGH Gunadala campus. The Casualty Medical Officer (CMO) Chandrasekhar administered Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV), Tetanus Vaccine and paged the surgeon on call. The surgeon seeing the grievous injuries on the neck suggested that that child be given immunoglobulin injections to protect the brain from getting affected. The injection given in the rarest of cases were not in stock at the GGH.
The need for the injection and the lack of stock were conveyed to the parents. Since the injection had to be given within an hour the parents were told to go either to a private hospital or to the Guntur Medical College Hospital. The parents said they did not have the money and started making calls to friends.
At this stage the media got wind of the case and called up Minister for Health Kamineni Srinivas. The Minister who lived close by rushed to the GGH and hauled up the officials. The frantic CMO contacted a PHC and got the immunoglobulin injection and administered the same to the child a few hours late, but that did not save him from a memo.
Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu made a surprise visit to the Hanumanpet GGH campus just last Saturday and gave stern warnings to staff and doctors. Health Minister also made a surprise check a couple of days ago and memos were given to 13 doctors.
Mr Srinivas speaking to media on Sunday said that he did not know what to do and added that he would take the matter to the Chief Minister. (eom) (407 words)
