Family members of the three patients who died while undergoing dialysis at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI) on Thursday noon have accused the medical staff of negligence.
They charged that there was no doctor on duty to monitor the patients during dialysis. There were only nurses and interns. “There was a power outage for 15 minutes, and when the power supply was restored, the medical staff present did not know what should be done. They tried calling the doctor, but his phone was not reachable,” alleged the family members.
Kannan, the brother of Amsa, who is one of the victims, said that she had been undergoing dialysis for the past three months. “She comes with her husband every Monday and Thursday, and undergoes dialysis from 8 a.m. till 12 p.m. On Thursday, she arrived at 8 a.m, but at 11 a.m., there was a power cut. They did not have power backup or a generator in the hospital and there were no doctors to monitor the patients,” he alleged. Amsa is a mother of three girls.
Suseela, another victim, is reported to have been undergoing treatment for the past three months. Her grandson Shanmugam said: “On Thursday, there was only one nurse and she did not know what to do when there was a power outage. She tried calling the doctor, but he was not reachable,” he said.
‘Not familiar with machine’
Ganesan’s son-in-law Karuna Jyothi complained that the problem arose because the nurse and interns were not able to operate the machine when the power supply resumed.
The medical officers denied any negligence on the part of the medical staff. “The medical staff was present. When the patients developed complications, they immediately informed the doctors and we rushed to revive the patients. During dialysis, the presence of doctor is not mandatory. There will be nurses and dialysis technicians,” said a medical officer at the hospital.
