Student Dies After Being Given Toxic Chemical Mistaken for Drinking Water at Private Hospital in Miryalaguda
Hospital negligence alleged as mother unknowingly gives formaldehyde to her fever-stricken son; police register case.
Miryalaguda: A 19-year-old student died after being given a hazardous chemical mistakenly assumed to be drinking water at a private hospital.
According to the victim’s relatives, Sandra Satyanarayana and Ramalingamma, residents of Chinna Anumula village in Anumula mandal, have two children—a daughter and a son, Ganesh (19). Ganesh was studying Intermediate second year at a private college in Hyderabad. After suffering from fever for two days, he was brought home and later taken to a private hospital in Miryalaguda on Saturday morning.
As his fever was high, hospital staff advised administering a paracetamol tablet. While giving the tablet, Ganesh’s mother went in search of drinking water. Finding no water in the hospital’s water can, she entered the adjacent laboratory and unknowingly filled a bottle with formaldehyde kept there, mistaking it for drinking water.
After consuming two sips of the chemical, Ganesh immediately fell seriously ill and died on the spot.
Alleging gross negligence by the hospital management for not providing drinking water and for leaving dangerous chemicals unattended, the victim’s relatives staged a protest. Police arrived at the scene and pacified them.
Based on a complaint lodged by Ganesh’s father Satyanarayana, a case has been registered against the hospital management. One Town CI Nagabhushan Rao confirmed that the case was booked citing hospital negligence leading to the death.