Infant death: EMO under scanner

The report concludes that if the EMO on duty had examined the baby on arrival in the Emergency Duty Room,the current controversy might not had arisen.

The report further states that Dr Neena Choudhary (EMO on duty) did not attend to the infant directly as protocols and procedures adopted by the EMO directed that except for trauma paediatric emergency cases,all other cases of paediatrics emergency are to be directly examined by the paediatrician on duty,which is why the baby’s parents were directed to take the baby to paediatrics emergency duty room.

Pleading innocence,Dr Neena Choudhary said,“I was on duty in the general emergency ward and I followed protocol. I sent the child to the paeditrics emergency without wasting time. The inquiry has not yet been concluded.”

The report further states that it cannot be commented upon at this stage,without the report of the viscera,whether the child died due to adverse reaction from immunisation or some other reason. The child had incidentally received three vaccines – DPT,Polio and Hepatitis – on the same day. The report states that on arrival in the hospital,the patient reached the EMO within five minutes and was in the pediatrics emergency room in another eight minutes.

However,the report is not clear on the fact whether the child was brought dead or he died in the process of running between the two emergencies departments.

As per the statement of the father,Ladoo Tiwari,when they reached there,the baby was alive and he had just vomited. “We reached at 3:59 pm on February 8 and the doctor on duty did not see the baby and told us to go to the paediatrics emergency. There after 15-20 minutes,the doctor came and inserted a pipe inside my child and then told me that he is dead. But the child was alive when I got him here. He died due to delay in treatment as nobody was ready to see him and start the treatment process,” said Ladoo.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the report,Ladoo said that he was called by the inquiry officer on February 13 and was asked certain questions pertaining to the time at which he reached with the baby on that day and what time the child was vaccinated at ESI dispensary Ram Darbar.

Ladoo said that the complaint which he gave to the police after the death of his baby and allegations that there was negligence on part of the doctors and delay in giving him treatment still stands. He said,“If I do not get justice here,I will go to the higher authorities,” he said.