Patient Dies as Oxygen Mask Catches Fire in Rajasthan, Probe Ordered

Jaipur: A patient allegedly died when his oxygen mask caught fire during treatment at a government hospital in Rajasthan’s Kota. The Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district administration to present the ‘action taken report’ and the factual report of the incident before it by July 24.

The State Human Rights Commission chairman Justice GK Vyas issued a notice to the Kota Superintendent of Police, Kota Chief Health Officer (CHO) and Principal of Kota New Medical College Hospital where the patient died on Wednesday night.

As per reports, a patient named Vaibhav Sharma, from Anantpura Talab, died on Wednesday night when an oxygen mask over his face allegedly caught fire after Direct Current (DC) Cardioversion shock treatment.

He was admitted to the hospital because of an intestinal rupture. His relatives claim that at around 11:30 pm on Wednesday, his condition deteriorated. During the Direct Current (DC) Cardioversion shock treatment, the oxygen mask over his face allegedly caught fire and stuck to his neck in ICU.

Family members of the deceased patient alleged that a spark from the electric switch board triggered the fire and medical staff did not take proper measures to save the patient.

The hospital authorities said the patient was given CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) an hour earlier before the DC shock was administered to revive him.

The patient’s body was sent for post-mortem.

On Thursday, the patient’s relatives demonstrated at the hospital alleging medical negligence.