Avoidable deaths at CMCH

Apparently the two patients who died were receiving treatment at the ICU and their deaths were caused by a stoppage of the generator. The explanations offered by the PDB for the generator coming to a halt is unacceptable. By their own admission, they stopped the generator without prior information to appropriate hospital authorities, a highly irresponsible act, to be sure. On the other hand, the explanation offered by no less a person than the director of the hospital appears to be too casual.

We are not here to act as an investigator, but we shall stress the need for finding ways and means to prevent all such tragic deaths in future. Already the power and energy ministry has said that loadshedding might be more acute in the coming months or even years. Surely, there must be a way to put public hospitals out of the purview of any extended period of loadshedding. With medical services at the innumerable private clinics all over the country being out of reach of the common people, it is all the more imperative that the administration seriously considered putting additional resources in and streamlining the management services of the public hospitals.

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In the meantime, we urge that an investigation be instituted into the incident and steps be taken to prevent recurrence of such untimely deaths.