MIOT hospital incident under investigation, says DME

The exact cause of death of the patients in MIOT hospital, in the aftermath of the rains, would be known after the post mortem report, TN Director of medical education (DME) Dr. S. Geethalakshmi told newsmen at Royapettah government hospital (RGH) on Friday. This follows 15 bodies being shifted to the RGH mortuary for post mortem. 

The names of the dead were given as Mohan (57), Chokklingam (18), Vadivel (35), Jerome (28), Kadir Thomas (83), Rathinammal (84), Raju (67), Visalakshi (74), Rathinaraj (43), PRemalatha (44), Selliammal (60), Wilson (73), Venketasubmani (80), Vikram (46) and Paranjothi (53).

The deaths reportedly occurred between 10 am and 8 pm on December 2, when the Adyar river breached the wall and immersed the generator on the ground floor. TNEB power was switched off due to rain. It is said that when the generator stopped functioning patients who were on ventilator collapsed due to lack of oxygen. 

Though efforts were made to shift oxygen cylinder from the basement, this was difficult as the basement was flooded. Oxygen was directly supplied to patients when some cylinders were shifted to the ward, but 18 patients who did not receive this facility succumbed. 

Hospital MD Dr. Prithvi Mohandoss in a statement said the 14 patients died as the generator failed due to rain and hence oxygen supply was affected. Though oxygen masks were provided and patients were shifted to other hospitals, 14 died, the statement added. 

Responding to the situation, State health secretary Dr. J. Radhakrishnan in a statement said only 56 patents were on ventilator support on November 3 and they were shifted to nearby hospitals. A total of 14 bodies were in the mortuary on December 3 as the rain prevented relatives claiming the bodies. To prevent a health hazard, the bodies were shifted to the GRH at the hospital’s request. The TN government provided a 250 KVa generator for the benefit for the 70 inpatients, he concluded.