A newborn suffering from respiratory distress died in Hisar after the family allegedly failed to secure ventilator support for nearly 24 hours, shuttling between three hospitals. The incident has sparked allegations of negligence against the Haryana Health Department.
Infant Born via C-Section, Required Immediate Ventilator
The infant was delivered through a caesarean section at Civil Hospital, Hisar, on Wednesday and needed urgent ventilator care, according to the family. The mother, Pooja, remained admitted at Civil Hospital, while doctors initially referred the newborn to Medical College at Agroha.
However, after Civil Hospital reportedly confirmed that no ventilator was available at Agroha, the baby was redirected to PGIMS in Rohtak.
Family's Ordeal Across Three Hospitals
Rakesh Kumar, 35, a daily-wage labourer from Uttar Pradesh residing in Mahavir Colony, Hisar, said they took the newborn to Rohtak on Wednesday evening but could not secure ventilator support there either. The family then returned to Hisar and took the infant to a private hospital around noon on Thursday, where doctors declared the baby dead.
Workers' union leader Manoj Soni said the incident exposed alleged negligence by the Haryana Health Department. He added that the child's father had submitted complaints to the Civil Surgeon in Hisar seeking an inquiry and to the Anaj Mandi police post for appropriate action.
Hospital Officials Explain Shortage
Principal Medical Officer Dr Reena Jain stated that the newborn had respiratory problems and also required echocardiography. "They had only one ventilator in the NICU ward, which was already occupied, so they referred the child to the tertiary centre – Medical College Agroha. But when we inquired about the ventilator at Agroha and found that there was no ventilator available there, we referred the child to the PGIMS at Rohtak. But no ventilator was also available at the PGIMS Rohtak as well since all the ventilators were already occupied there too," she said.
She added that the family later brought the child back to Hisar for admission to a private hospital, where the infant died. The PMO said statements of hospital staff and family members would be recorded before a detailed report is submitted to higher authorities in Chandigarh for further action. She further said the Civil Hospital had already sought an additional ventilator for its NICU, but the request was yet to be fulfilled.
Inquiry Ordered into Alleged Negligence
Civil Surgeon Dr Sapna Ganhot confirmed that the complaint filed by the deceased child's father had been referred to the medical negligence board for inquiry. The incident highlights critical shortages of life-saving equipment in public hospitals and the struggles families face in accessing emergency care.
