KGH: Father carries premature baby’s Oxygen cylinder by himself due to lack of support staff

On 18 June 2024, a video, captured on the grounds of King George Hospital (KGH), Visakhapatnam, went viral as a father was seen carrying an oxygen cylinder on his shoulder to help transfer his prematurely born baby to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Support staff were unavailable at the moment.

His wife, Allu Shirisha, a pregnant woman from Kotanandur in East Godavari district, gave birth on the morning of 18 June (Tuesday) at KGH. Her baby was delivered premature. The doctors, recognizing the critical condition of the newborn, recommended immediate transfer to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit attached to the children’s ward. The baby was promptly given oxygen and prepared for the journey to the NICU.

However, the hospital was short-staffed at the crucial moment, and the father Allu Vishnumurthy, carried the oxygen cylinder himself. As the nurse carried the fragile infant ahead, the father followed closely behind, carrying the cylinder across the KGH grounds, ensuring his baby received the essential supply of oxygen. Unbeknownst to Vishnumurthy, onlookers were moved by his display of fatherly devotion and recorded the incident.

Dr P Sivananda, the supervising medical officer at KGH, Visakhapatnam, took immediate notice of the video. Disturbed by the hospital’s lack of preparedness and the sight of a father bearing such a burden, he convened an urgent meeting with the hospital’s doctors and staff. Expressing his frustration and disappointment, Dr Sivananda emphasized that such incidents should never be repeated.

The video, which quickly went viral, has sparked widespread discussion about the state of healthcare facilities and the urgent need for improvement. Many have praised Vishnumurthy’s quick thinking and dedication, while also calling for better support systems in hospitals to prevent such situations.

Only yesterday, post midnight of 17 June, KGH faced another distressing situation as the battery of a ventilator exploded in the IRCU ward.

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