Two-month-old, who suffered burns in Mumbai hospital ICU, undergoes amputation

“We had no money or place to go to in Varanasi, so we decided to come to Mumbai. My brother-in-law said this was a good hospital,” Rajbhar said.

On November 6, he admitted the child to KEM hospital’s paediatric unit for treatment. Around 3 am the next day, the ECG nodes attached to his chest reportedly caught fire due to a suspected short circuit. “As we were not allowed inside the ICU, I was waiting outside the ward when the incident happened. Later, a team of doctors rushed inside. I was informed about the fire only an hour later,” Rajbhar told The Indian Express.

According to hospital sources, the fire had reportedly spread to the mattress of the ICU cot, and subsequently, to a red plastic sheet on which Prince lay.

Hospital dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh told The Indian Express the child had suffered 18-20 per cent burns on his scalp, left arm and shoulder in the incident, but his condition was stable. On Monday, Prince’s heart reports were normal, but doctors found that blood flow to his left hand tissues were blocked. “Due to burns, ischaemia was found in upper limb. The baby is on high antibiotics,” Deshmukh said, adding that Prince underwent an upper arm amputation Monday night.

Claiming that the family has decided to not question the hospital authorities till the completion of Prince’s treatment, his mother Sandhya said, “We have no money to seek private care. Prince is our first child and we can’t afford to delay further treatment.”

Hospital officials, meanwhile, said the ECG machine was just a year old. They added that the ECG lead was disposable and there were no prior issues with the machine. The paediatric ICU has over 20 cots, while five to six nurses monitor the babies.

While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has instituted an inquiry to examine if there was medical negligence on the part of the hospital, four days after the incident the inquiry is yet to begin. “I am waiting to receive the BMC’s letter to start the inquiry,” Dr RN Bharmal, head of tertiary care hospitals in BMC, who will take charge of the inquiry, said.

Senior Inspector Vinod Kamble from Bhoiwada police station said police have recorded the statement of the child’s father, KEM hospital doctors, nurses and some eyewitnesses. “But the child’s father has refused to lodge any complaint against the hospital. We have written to the fire brigade and BMC to submit a report on this incident. Suo moto action will be taken if negligence is found,” he said.

Even as his parents gave permission to amputate their first-born’s left hand, they say they were left with no option. “We have no where else to go, and we want his treatment to get over first,” Rajbhar said.