Bengaluru, Oct 14 (DHNS): Health Minister U T Khader virtually gave the hospitals a clean chit on Tuesday when he said 19-month-old Gagana died due to the severity of the injuries she sustained after falling from the second floor of her residence.

Speaking to reporters here, Khader said there was no negligence on the part of doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health. The hospitals fall under the purview of the Medical Education Department.

Khader dismissed the allegations about non-availability of ventilators.

There was a ventilator in the 108 ambulance in which she was taken to the hospitals, he pointed out.

The minister said Gagana was given timely treatment, but owing to her grievous injuries, she could not be saved.

He said chances of survival in such cases were bleak, given the age of the child.

Gagana was shifted from hospital to hospital for want of required treatment.

She succumbed to her injuries late on Monday. As there is an acute shortage of intensive care units (ICUs) in government hospitals, Khader said 10-bed ICUs will be set up at all district hospitals and four to six ICUs will be set up at major taluk hospitals shortly.

Minister of State for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil had sought a report from the director of Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, which was submitted to the government in the afternoon. Patil said action would be taken if doctors were found guilty.

Patil said another child in the ICU at the Institute Hospital was vacated to provide ventilator to Gagana. The process took about 30 minutes to an hour. “This delay could have escalated the problem,” the minister felt.

Patil further said five more ventilators would be added to the existing 14-15 ventilators at the hospital. The trauma care centre at Victoria Hospital will be opened by month end.

“The trauma care facility will have 200 beds with 38 beds for ICU, 120 general beds, 40 for mass casualty, 20 for casualty and 5 for the paediatric ward. The hospital will have 17 ventilators and in the next 2 to 3 months, 15 additional ventilators will be brought in,” Patil added.

In addition to this, the department is also in the process of starting trauma care centres at Mysuru and Kalaburagi and the tender process has been initiated, the minister said.