TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The demise of Abdul Shaikh, 59, was due to severe cardiac arrest and not due to lack of life saving oxygen failure in the 108 EMRI ambulance as alleged by the deceased’s son, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the State Legislative Assembly Monday, quoting report of the doctors who treated the deceased at the Dharbandora and sub-district hospitals at Ponda.
“None of those present here (Assembly) have any medical knowledge and hence let’s not discuss it. According to the report submitted by concerned doctors to the health department which has come to me it was clear that the death of the patient was due to severe cardiac arrest and not due to lack of oxygen. Patients suffering from cardiac arrest don’t require oxygen masks,” Parrikar said, replying to the Zero Hour Mention made by Congress MLA Vishwajit Rane and Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai.
The Chief Minister was supported by Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar who too said that according to doctors, who treated Shaikh, the death resulted from severe cardiac arrest and not lack of oxygen. “The doctors at Ponda sub-district hospital declared the patient dead at around 12.45pm due to severe cardiac arrest,” Parsekar said and told the House that EMRI were asked to maintain additional oxygen cylinder in the ambulances immediately.
Giving chronology of the entire incident, Parsekar said that on Saturday at around 11.20am, 108 got a distress call and they reached the spot at 11.23am. The patient was taken to Dharbandora health centre in an unconscious state, where doctors said that his medical condition was cold and clammy. Doctors said that the patient has suffered severe cardiac arrest and needed to be shifted to GMC.
While the patient was being taken to GMC, the attendants at EMRI service informed their office to keep alternative vehicle available at Ponda with full oxygen cylinder as the oxygen in their vehicle was only 30 percent, minister said.
“However in between the condition of the patient worsened and hence he was immediately shifted to Ponda sub district hospital at 12.30pm,” Parsekar narrated.
At 12.45pm the patient was declared dead and the cause of death was cited as severe cardiac arrest, minister said.
The Opposition MLAs brought to the notice of the House that Shaikh hailing from Pansule-Dharbandora died in the emergency services while on the way to hospital due to lack of oxygen in the cylinder as alleged by the son.
Vishwajit, claiming that the incident was a criminal offence on part of the EMRI services.
, urged the minister to take and fix responsibility for the death.
“The incident proves that the maintenance quality of EMRI services is zero. This is complete apathy and failure on part of Health Ministry,” he said pointing that no audit of 108 services was done by the health department for past several months.
“FIR should be filed against the director of health for failure to conduct the audit,” Vishwajit demanded.
