Anupama succumbs to PGI’s negligence

Chandigarh, July 24
A week after getting injured in a bus accident and undergoing amputation, 16-year-old Anupama gave up and lost her battle for life at the PGI today. The alleged delay in treatment led to the spread of infection in her body and after remaining in coma since July 20, when her leg was amputated, doctors declared her dead at 4.46 am today.

July 17 A Chandigarh Transport Undertaking bus runs over Anupama’s leg near Tagore Theatre. The girl is admitted to the PGI at 2.45 pm

July 18 She is sent to the preoperative hall at the operating theatre complex of the Advanced Trauma Centre for surgery. The surgery is postponed due to rush of patients

July 19 Anupama’s condition deteriorates at night, following which she is taken to the operating theatre. She is found intolerant to anaesthesia and is brought back to the hall

July 20 Doctors find her infected with gas gangrene, amputate her leg. She slips into coma

July 24 Anupama dies at 4.46 am

The tragedy that could have been averted had the CTU driver been careful and the PGI acted on time. Anupama’s death has ruined the world of helpless couple Amit and Kanika Sarkar, who were on the bedside of their only child when she breathed her last. Her blood pressure dipped and her heart failed. Doctors could not revive her and she died.
The death of Anupama was almost imminent when she got infection of gas gangrene during her three-day stay in the preoperative ward waiting for surgery. Doctors attending upon her told that the infection had spread to her upper body parts and her chances of survival were assessed a mere 20 per cent after the surgery.
Anupama, a student of Class XI at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 18, was injured on July 17 when she fell while boarding a CTU bus. Her leg got crushed under the tyre of the bus.
Doctors treated her wound and after putting a dressing on it informed the family that she had to undergo a surgery that night only. However, doctors kept on postponing her surgery till July 20.
The dressing on her wound was never changed which finally led to the spread of gas gangrene leading to amputation of her leg. This ultimately proved fatal for the hapless girl, alleged her parents.
Despite a fracture in her leg, Anupama was perfectly fine and even doctors found her fit enough to postpone her surgery and take care of more serious patients, said her father Amit Sarkar. The doctors did not pay attention to her till her condition started deteriorating on July 19 night, he said.
That night she was taken to the operation theatre, but due to excessive bleeding during previous two days, she could not bear anaesthesia and fell unconscious.
The next day, it was detected that she had developed gas gangrene due to which her leg was amputated and she was went in a coma.

Admn announces Rs 3 lakh ex gratia An ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh has been announced by the UT Administration for the family of Anupama. Earlier, the CTU has given a compensation of Rs 31,000 to the girl’s family during her treatment. The erring driver of the CTU bus had given Rs 10,000 from his personal savings. Meanwhile, senior officials of the UT Administration said they were saddened with the untimely demise of Anupama. The administration has decided to conduct training programmes for drivers and conductors to ensure proper and responsible conduct while on duty and to check reoccurrence of such incidents.

Driver suspended The UT transport department suspended Atul Kumar, the erring driver of the CTU bus that crushed Anupama’s leg leading to her death. The department had earlier charge-sheeted the driver and had initiated disciplinary action against him. After Anupama’s death, the police has added section of death due to negligence (304-A) of the IPC in the case of rash and negligent driving (Sections 279 of the IPC) registered earlier against the driver. Legal experts say that in cases of death due to negligence, the maximum sentence was two years or certain amount of fine or both. But the accused in such cases is released on bail.

Parents wanted to donate her eyes

Anupama’s parents wished to give the gift of sight to two persons after having lost their bundle of joy. But the wish of the devastated parents to donate her eyes could not be fulfilled. Doctors said her eyes could not be transplanted as she had developed sepsis (better known as blood poisoning). Severe sepsis occurs when an infection (bacterial, viral, fugal or parasites) resulting from trauma, surgery, burns or cancer cascades down the immune system responses which can lead to acute organ dysfunction and often death. “Immediately after her death I decided to donate her eyes, but our wish could not be fulfilled,” said Anupama’s father.