Situation at Niloufer still remains tense

Niloufer Hospital: With tense situations prevailing, 80 male and 20 female officers along with security staff have been deployed at Niloufer Hospital. An infant who was administered vaccination had died after the staff at Nampally Uban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) gave tablet tramadol instead of paracetamol due to similar packaging. Next day on Thursday 23 vaccinated infants who were also given tablet tramadol were brought to Niloufer Hospital and the numbers increased by night up to 34. After which, the situation at the hospital started becoming uncontrollable with supporters of Congress party and Mahila Sangam staging protests outside the hospital demanding action against the officials at UPHC, Nampally. The protestors wanted to meet the superintendent and wanted to know the infants’ health condition.

The Congress protestors demanded the government to give the parents of the affected infants 5 lakh each as a compensation for their grievances and loss and if these demands were not fulfilled, they warned of statewide protests against the government.Due to the protests, more police and security staff were deployed at the hospital gates and the second floor to avoid any unfortunate incident and situation going out of control. No one was being allowed inside the Hospital unless they had an attendant pass. Many inpatients and outpatients were affected due to the heated situation at Niloufer Hospital. The patient attendants and parents were facing problems to commute in and out of the hospital and were made to wait outside the gates in severe heat. “We are looking after the Hospital since Wednesday night and all our officers are keeping vigil to avoid any unfortunate instances. The security at the entry gates has been increased and no one is allowed to enter the hospital without an attendant pass.” said a policeman at the hospital.Ravi Kumar, HOD paediatrics, said, “All 34 infants are now stable and the 3 infants who were on the ventilator are now kept on oxygen support and are kept under observation. Rest of the infant’s condition is now improving and after running a few tests they will be discharged one by one from tomorrow.”

Salman Sayyed, a father of one of the 34 infants admitted, said,” My baby girl is unconscious and is having breathing problems after giving her the prescribed tablet. When our neighbour told us about the situation at Niloufer we rushed her here at 12 pm. The security here is very strict and is not allowing anyone without attendant pass.”