Bangalore:
Cursing the irony of life, a father is doing everything possible to save his two-year-old son's life. Now, dejected with all his efforts being futile, he plans to go an indefinite hunger strike. Kiran Chander's son John Ronaldo is lying in the pediatric ward of St Johns Hospital in Koramangala for a year now.
Ronaldo can't breathe normally and is only surviving because of a tube that's inserted into his windpipe through a hole in his throat. The kid is suffering due to the alleged negligence of the medical staff at the hospital.
"My child is disabled. The tube has not been removed from his throat. However, the hospital authorities are refusing to continue the treatment and are asking me to take him elsewhere. Besides, they are not giving us proper discharge summary," Chander alleged.
Narrating the unfortunate incident that changed his life, Chander said that he brought Ronaldo to St Johns Hospital on March 15, 2010. "He accidentally got scalded by hot coffee and sustained 10 per cent burns. I admitted Ronaldo to the emergency ward where he was administered wrong medication that subsequently led to respiratory arrest and brain hemorrhage," he alleged.
It has been a year since the incident and the boy is admitted in the pediatric ward. "All the while, I bore the expenses of my son's treatment. Now, they want to discharge my son and have asked me to come once a week to change the tracheotomy tube and for physiotherapy.
Despite the fact that his condition worsened due to their negligence, they are not even ready to waive off the treatment charges," Chander said. He even wrote to the police seeking intervention and claims to have been told that no legal action can be taken against the hospital until verification is done.
"We have to verify the charges of negligence against the hospital and cannot immediately file a complaint. We will certainly look into the matter," said T Sunil Kumar, additional commissioner of police, law and order. Left with no option, Chander approached Global Human Rights Organisation, a city-based NGO. With their support, he now plans to approach the Medical Council of India and go on an indefinite hunger strike in front of the hospital from Saturday.
M Murli Kumar, founder chairman the NGO, said that he has taken up the cause and would like to see the hospital bear the expenses for their mistake. "We want the child to be healthy and will fast till our demands are met," said Kumar. He urged citizens to join them on Saturday and show their support for Chander and pray for Ronaldo's well being. Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts, neither Dr Felton D'Souza from the pediatrics department, nor hospital authorities remained available for comments.