Child death: Manipal Police file FIR against doctors, nurses

Manipal, February 18: Manipal Police filed an FIR against some of the doctors and two nurses of Kasturba Hospital for the death of a three month old child due to their negligence.

Fathimabi, mother of three-month-old male baby Rifai, a native of NR Pura, in Chikmagalur, had lodged a complaint against the Manipal Hospital.

In the complaint Fathimabi said that they had come to Manipal Hospital on Sep 30, 2010, for the treatment of their baby for the discharge of Sodium and Potassium in the urine. Pediatrician Dr Pushpa Kini had diagnosed and successfully treated the child and kept under observation.

In the early hours of Oct 5 nurses on duty Seema and Sangeetha took their child for giving a bath. Meanwhile they sent her to weigh the urine pad of the child. Due to negligence nurses put the baby in a tub containing boiling water, Fathimabi alleged. When she rushed to the spot hearing child crying, skin of the child had peeled out from its waist till the toe. Frightened nurses, in spite of their demand to send the child to the burns ward, simply wrapped up the child. Even Dr Sujith George who came across the child refused to treat the child even after repeated request saying the baby was not his patient. Though the incident took place at early 5 am, Dr Pushpa Kini inspected the child after 11 am, only to say that she could not treat the child. The child died on Oct 9, she said in the complaint.

Shocked parents returned to their native NR Pura. On Friday (Feb 18) both parents of the child- Mohammed Hanief (a KSRTC conductor) and Fathimabi reached the Manipal Police Station and lodged a complaint against the Kasturba Hospital. They also explained their situation before the media infront of the Police Station.