Inquiry ordered after 2 newborns share oxygen cylinder at MKCH Hospital
MKCG Hospital Under Fire After Infants Moved with Shared Oxygen Supply
Behrampur: An inquiry has been ordered following a disturbing incident at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, where two postnatal mothers were reportedly made to carry their intubated newborns to the super-speciality block for echocardiogram (ECHO) tests, while both babies shared a single oxygen cylinder.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, came to light when the women were seen carrying their babies, each with a nasal tube connected to a single oxygen cylinder. According to news reports, one woman from Padadigi village in Patrapur block, Ganjam, had delivered a baby boy eight days earlier, and the child was undergoing treatment in the paediatric ward. Similarly, another woman from Badapada village in Nuagada block, Gajapati, had given birth to a baby girl 14 days ago, with the infant receiving care in the special newborn care unit.
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According to media reports, doctors had advised ECHO tests for both infants, and a class IV hospital employee was assigned to accompany the mothers and assist in pulling the oxygen cylinder. However, after dragging the heavy cylinder for some distance, the staffer reportedly abandoned it, forcing the mothers’ relatives to carry the cylinder for the rest of the way.
After the incident sparked outrage, the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), who is also the chairman of the hospital’s managing committee, ordered a probe and also directed the superintendent of MKCG MCH, Dr Durga Madhab Satapathy, to submit a comprehensive report in this regard, reports TNIE.
According to Odisha TV, “Who is responsible? What led to this gross negligence? Was it a shortage of resources, staff mismanagement, or technical failure? Every angle will be thoroughly probed,” the RDC said, emphasizing that accountability will be fixed.
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Since the incident came to light, hospital authorities have faced intense scrutiny, with growing demands for enhanced infrastructure, stronger monitoring systems, and strict adherence to neonatal care protocols.
Dr. Satapathy stated that both infants had the same oxygen saturation levels during transfer and assured that the hospital has issued strict instructions to the Paediatric department to prohibit shared oxygen cylinders going forward.
