Rida Shaikh of Pune – India’s first Swine Flue / influenza A (H1N1) virus Victim – hospital’s negligence

Rida Shaikh is the first Swine Flue / influenza A (H1N1) virus Victim who died  in a Pune hospital on Monday. It seems that Rida Shaikh the 14-year-old girl died of swine flu mainly due to “delayed treatment”.

Rida had consulted a general practitioner on July 21 when she first reported flu-like symptoms – sore throat, runny nose and headache. When her condition improved, she joined school on July 23 (Now the parents of kinds in that school must be really a worried lot).

Rida Shaikh again developed fever on July 25, and consulted another private practitioner. Her fever continued and she was admitted to the Jehangir Hospital (a private hospital in Pune) on July 27. Her condition worsened and she was shifted to the ICU and put on the ventilator on July 29.

Initially Rida Shaikh’s blood samples were sent to another private hospital in Pune Ruby Hall. What is surprising that Ruby Hall though a big hospital, was not authorised to test for swine flu. Doctors at Jehangir Hospital finally sent her samples to the National Institute of Virology only on July 31 and found to be positive for swine flu. She was put on Oseltamivir or Tamiflu on July 30. Her condition, however, deteriorated and she died on Monday, the first death in the country because of H1N1 virus.

Questions against medical malpractice by Jehangir Hospital: If they knew that Ruby Hall is not an authorised center to test for swine flu – why they did send it there? Was it only for money?

Fourteen-year-old Rida Shaikh left an upset family who said that they would sue the hospital for negligence and give all the money to charity.

“We will take civil and criminal action against the hospital. The family will also sue the hospital for damages and get a huge sum of money. We are not interested in the money. The money will be given to charity,” Asif Lampwala, the family lawyer said at a press conference here.

Do you think the hospitals take the life of patients in their hands just for money

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