Berhampur:Once again MKCGMCH,the referral hospital for Southern region of Odisha is in news for wrong reason.The premier health facility was often riddled with allegation of scarcity and absence of senior doctors,transfer of patients to private clinics and ragging,now drew serious criticism from various quarter for sharing a oxygen cylinder to two new borns.Lack of facilities of stretcher and staff,has compelled two post-delivery women to carry their just born baby on their arms to super speciality block for echo test(echocardiogram).Not only the mothers walked carrying their babies,also the pipes from a lone oxygen cylinder fixed to the nose of both the babies and the cylinder was also seen dragged.Though a class IV staff of the MCH was dragging the cylinder,but he denied to disclose his identity and fled from the spot,forcing the relative of the women to drag the cylinder to the destination of testing.Sources said Kausalya sahu of Padadigi village under Patrapur block in Ganjam district delevered a son 8 days ago and the new born is under treatment at paediatric ward.Similarly Padmalaya behera delivered a baby girl 14 days ago and was in SNCU.Doctors advised ECHO test for both the babies and were carried.Though the incident,took place in MCH campus and has triggered widespread concern over patients’ safety and medical protocol,but the MCH authorities slept over it.However,today the southern division,revenue divisional commissioner(RDC),Sangram keshari mohapatra,who also happens to be the chairman of the MCH managinging committee has ordered for a thorough enquary into the incident.The RDC(SD)has aksed MCH Superientendent Prof Durga madhab satpathy to submit a detailed report,seeking a clarification on how such a critical lapse took place in the MCH.Stressing the need to fix accountability,the RDC directed that every angle should be probed to ascertain as to who was responsible and what led to this gross negligence.The probe should also find whether it was due to a shortage of resources,staff mismanagement, or technical failure.Administered oxygen simultaneously from one cylinder to two new borns is in violation of standard medical safety norms,as different levels of oxygen needed for patients,still it missed the attention of the MCH authorities.Prof Satapathy,said that both the infants had the same oxygen saturation levels at the time.However strict instructions has been given to the pediatric department that no patient should be made to share oxygen from a single cylinder in the future.He said,there is no shortage of oxygen cylinders in the pediatric department and an internal inquary has been launced to find out who was responsible and why the incident occured.Incidently,in 2024 a infant was seen carried on arms of hospital staff,with oxygen pipe for X-ray.Even in 2022,three infants were shared oxygen from one cylinder.Though at that time the authorities announced for inquary by forming committees,but the reports not came to light.
