Man dies as kin ‘shuts’ ventilator to use air cooler at Kota hospital

KOTA: In a bizarre incident, a 40-year-old suspected Covid-19 patient allegedly died in the isolation ward of city's MBS Hospital after one of his family members disconnected the ventilator to plug an air cooler to provide relief from intense heat. Later, the deceased man’s test reports revealed that he was not suffering from the deadly infection.
MBS Hospital superintendent Dr Navin Saxena confirmed that the incident occurred late night on June 15. Hospital authorities have formed a three-member committee to probe into the incident and the report is likely to be presented on Saturday.
The family had brought the air cooler into the ward to give some respite to the patient from the intense heat in the isolation ward, sources said.
The suspected Covid patient was admitted following a respiratory complication and was on ventilator at the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of the hospital from Saturday last week. Later, on Monday (June 15) this week, he was shifted to the isolation ward as a safety measure since another patient tested positive for Covid at MICU.
On June 15 evening, his family bought a new cooler and allegedly unplugged the ventilator to plug in the cooler after they failed to find an electric socket. For 30 minutes, the ventilator worked using power from the battery. But after it ran out of power, the condition of the patient allegedly started deteriorating.
The staff noticed it and immediately called the doctor. The medical staff rushed to the patient and found the ventilator unplugged and the cooler plugged in. Though the staff immediately administered CPR to the patient, the attempt to save his life failed and he died.
“We have formed a three-member committee, comprising deputy superintendent, nursing superintendent and chief medical officer (CMO) on duty at the isolation ward, to probe the matter. The committee is likely to submit its report on Saturday or Monday,” said Dr Naveen Saxena.
The probe committee has recorded statements of medical staff at the isolation ward. But the family members of the deceased patient have not responded to the committee, he said. "It's a serious issue of carelessness, whether committed by the patient’s family members or the medical staff in the ward, and appropriate action would be taken against whoever is found responsible in the probe report," he added.
“The probe is underway and the committee is likely to submit its report on Saturday,” confirmed Dr Sameer Tandon, deputy superintendent, MBS Hospital, and one of the three members of the probe committee.

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