Puducherry: Three dialysis patients die after power failure

Puducherry: On ‘World Kidney Day’ three patients battling renal problems died in Puducherry at the state-run Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, a premium, 750-bed medical facility, allegedly due to power outage in the hospital during dialysis. The deceased were identified as Sushila (75) and Amsa (58) and Ganeshan (55), all three patients hailing from Puducherry.

The incident occurred when the patients were undergoing dialysis, a routine procedure for patients with chronic kidney diseases.  Three of them were critical ill patient who were undergoing dialysis thrice a week. The power supply got disrupted around 11 am and reportedly the alternative power supply units also did not work, which lead to the death, sources said. Both Sushila and Amsa died instantaneously and Ganeshan died minutes after he was shifted to Intensive Care Unit. The duty doctor-in-charge, four nurses and a technician have been suspended immediately.

Calling the incident as ‘unusual’ director of health and family welfare services K V Raman said that the cause of death could not be ascertained at this point of time. “We are not sure that failure in power supply is the reason behind the death. Normally it takes less than a minute to restore the power supply through generator. To my knowledge generator took more than seven minutes to restore power after disruption, But the fact is that dialysis units can function for 15 to 20 minutes after power disruption,” he told Deccan Chronicle.

A three-member committee comprising two nephrologists from Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) and executive engineer of Puducherry electricity department has been constituted to conduct a probe, he added. At the same time, the relatives of the patients ransacked the hospital, damaging the glass doors in the unit, alleging that the government failed to ensure basic facilities in the hospital.

“The hospital is having three dialysis units, but that alone can not work. It is the duty of the government to ensure basic infrastructures in a government run institution. We heard that the dialysis unit is lacking even basic facilities including uninterrupted power supply units. This is not just a technical issue, but negligence on the part of authorities caused the death today”, said relative of one of the deceased patient on strict conditions of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Health minister Malladi Krishna Rao, who rushed to the spot, said that the power failure was the reason behind the deaths. “None of the officials are able to give the reason why the incident occurred.  The government would take further actions based on the findings of the enquiry committee, “ he said. The minister announced a compensation of Rs five lakh to each to the families of the deceased. Later, the bodies were sent to JIPMER for autopsy.