TIMELINE: HOW THE TRAGEDY UNFOLDED
The crisis started on Thursday
The crisis in BRD College began when the Liquid Oxygen Plant ran out of supply. Subsequently, 90 jumbo oxygen cylinders were requisitioned and pressed into service to maintain the supply during the day. But these cylinders ran out of oxygen around 1 am Friday. All hell broke loose in the hospital following the disruption of oxygen supply. Fifty more oxygen cylinders were brought in at around 3.30 am, which also ran dry at 7.30 am Friday.
Morning brought mayhem
Fifty-four out of 73 patients in the 100 bed encephalitis ward were on ventilator when oxygen supply was disrupted at 7.30 am on Friday. What followed was complete chaos as panic-stricken relatives of the patients ran for help and with the support of hospital staff tried to maintain supply of oxygen through artificial respiration using AMBU (artificial manual breathing unit)bags. But several patients started collapsing due to lack of proper supply.
₹69 lakh dues
Besides encephalitis ward, the liquid oxygen plant, which was set up two years ago in BRD College, ensures piped oxygen supply to 300 other patients. A firm Pushpa Sales manages the oxygen supply. An official of the company Deepankar Sharma said he had informed the BRD principal about the ₹68,58, 596 dues despite the fact that the terms and condition of the agreement clearly mentioned that arrears would not be more than ₹10 lakh.
The Company restored the supply after 20 deaths
The cycle of death began with children. As child after another began collapsing due to lack of oxygen supply, frantic doctors made some desperate phone calls to the officials of Pushpa Sales and pleaded for restoration of service. The hospital management, on the other hand, initiated the process to clear dues of ₹22 lakh of the company. The company officials have agreed to send a liquid oxygen tanker, which would reach hospital only either by Saturday evening or on Sunday morning.