Infant with head injuries dies at NIMHANS, parents allege delay in treatment

A one-and-a-half year old child with head injuries who was rushed from Hassan to NIMHANS here has died. The parents have accused the premier hospital of delay in treatment.

The boy’s parents have alleged that they were made to wait for over one hour at NIMHANS to admit him.

The incident took place on Wednesday, and the hospital in its statement issued on Thursday said they had explained to the patient’s family that the prognosis was ”poor”, based on clinical and radiological findings, and that the patient is unlikely to improve with treatment.

The statement said that the hospital had also informed the parents that a ventilator bed was unavailable.

”Patient had severe bradycardia (slow heart rate) and (went into) cardiac arrest at 3 PM and could not be revived despite best efforts,” the hospital said. According to the NIMHANS statement, the male child who had fallen from a height of four feet was taken to Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences on Tuesday at 7 PM. The infant had suffered severe brain injury, and as the prognosis was poor, the parents were advised not to shift the child to National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), it said.

However, the child was brought to NIMHANS in an ambulance on ventilator support at around 2:30 PM on Wednesday, it added.

Explaining the medical condition of the child and the clinical investigation done, NIMHANS said the patient received supportive measures. However, the infant went into cardiac arrest at 3 PM and could not be revived. ”He was declared dead at 4.05 PM on Wednesday,” the hospital added.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he would discuss the matter with NIMHANS director, when reporters asked him about the incident.