Twelve newborns suffered breathing difficulties when an oxygen supply pipe was stolen at Madhya Pradesh’s state-run Rajgarh district hospital, officials said on Wednesday (Dec 18, 2024).
Panic broke out late on Tuesday (Dec 17, 2024) after the newborns started crying after struggling to breathe after strangers stole a 10- to 15-feet long copper pipe, disrupting the oxygen supply to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), officials said.
As the inbuilt alarm system in the NICU started beeping, medical staff rushed to restore the oxygen supply. An official said they managed the potentially dangerous situation by quickly connecting a backup jumbo oxygen cylinder to the system.
Pediatrician Dr. RS Mathur reached the hospital after being informed about the situation by the health workers. The official said they restored the oxygen supply by placing a jumbo cylinder to avert a possible tragedy.
Rajgarh District Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. Kiran Wadia said that oxygen supply was quickly restored. He said that he informed the higher authorities about the incident.
An official said 20 newborns were being treated in the NICU when the incident came to light, including 12 dependent on oxygen. “The crisis was managed because of the backup,” he added.
published – December 18, 2024 at 05:17 pm IST