my second child (male two months old) was admitted in apollo hospital,madurai for fever cum seizure (Fits) on 30 May 2010, He was kept in CCU for three days and was treated by two doctors - Dr. Meenakshi sundaram (Neuro Surgeon) and Dr. Murugan Jeyaram (Pediatrician). No recurrence of fever and seizure after being admitted in CCU. Neuro surgeon treated him well and as my child showed good improvement, he even changed the injections into syrup and then decision of discharging my child was left with the pediatrician.

From the day one, the way the pediatrician explaining about the condition of my child was unconvincing. He said my child was sufferring from high infection. But all my child's test - blood, urine, CSF(test for brain fever) shows no infection. Then from CCU my child was changed to pediatric ward. No recurrence of fever for two or three days, but without discharging my child, he continued saying infection, infection and was treated with heavy dose- high antibiotics.

Later recurrences of fever(ranging from 99 to 99.9) was there, we doubted whether it could be because of cross infections from the other children admitted in the ward. we insisted for a separate room, first the pediatrician refused changing to room and two days after he voluntarily agreed to change my child to a separate room. He revised the antibiotics, the nurses who assisted the room were untrained for a child. 8th day when we asked about the discharge , the doctor said we should not even talk about discharge at that point. but the very next day he said he was going to discharge us and as i found my child's abdomen distending, enquired about that ,( but doctor had not even noticed it, as he used to just verify the reports and records but never examine my child). Then again a pediatric surgeon was recommended, he examined my child's abdomen and advised for a ultra sound which showed a slight enlargement of lever and spleen with light dilation. ( ultra sound taken 10 days before showed normal size of lever and spleen) and was suspected to be dengue. But dengue serology was negative. we again were shifted to pediatric ward as it was told that my child should be kept under supervision. But throughtout those days, my child was taking feeding well and excretion of urine and motion was also good. when i asked about the reports of my child it was refused.

But the third day of the stomach distention, doctor insisted us to take my child to chennai apollo children's hospital as he was suspecting the cause for that picture (enlargement of lever and spleen with slight dilation) as some virus infection, which could be diagnosed at chennai hospital and be treated well there. But that shaked us and we were afraid and doubted any life threatening condition had occurred. when we enquired about that, doctor clearly said that there was no life threatening condition as all the major organs were functioning well, only the stomach distention was there and which could be treated at chennai. The same day, for some unknown reason my child resisted taking mother feeding and urination was well but motion was only leaking. Though i informed that condition to the nurses, they took it ease and were waiting for the doctor's visit. ( The doctor used to visit my child only after O.P. ). Only after my continuous struggle, they made a call to doctor and drips were recommended. Only when I forced them to give the reports of my child, they said that i should write a letter to the D.M.S and also the D.M.S was out. The next morning after forcing the nurses, they spoke to the doctor and the reports were given with a summary from the doctor. Then we agreed to go to chennai and asked the doctor about the transportation whether could we move by flight or by innova, but both cases were refused and moving by ambulance was recommended. We were advised to move at the next day dawn. At evening hematologist attended my child and said nothing was serious and the reports were fine.

Few hours later Dr. Mercy (Duty doctor) approached us and said that they were going to take some fluid from my child's abdomen for future study and it would also help my child. As a parent, it disturbed us and we asked whether it was necessary to take, without convincing us, the duty doctor said angrily that it was our wish and left the place. Though we were much worried we agreed for that, and at 8 or 9 p.m. the pediatric surgeon came and he was instructing the nurse to move my child to a inside room where he was going to use a needle to take some fluid from my child's abdomen. We were worried ,afraid and asked whether it would not prick the other parts of my child if done without the support of ultra sound. Then he said yes and enquired about the availability of the ultra sound and spoke to the pediatrician, discussed something and said to us that there was nothing serious, no need to take the fluid and we could move the same night to chennai.

We paid for the ambulance and a nurse, we started at night 11.20.p.m, i asked them again and again about the medicines and other supportive machines that are needed for my child whether it would be in the ambulance or not . they said yes. But after departing i came to know that there was no medicine, only pulse meter was there. not even thermometer. though they very well know about the recurrences of fever, they had failed to give the medicines, with my personal thermometer i checked fever and i myself gave sponge bath (by using Gauss and water) to reduce temperature.

We reached chennai the next morning, my child was concious and when doctor put the I.V line he even cried. but he had rapid breathing because of abdomen distention and the heart rate also bit high. Then the doctor took my child to PICU, my child was looking me as usual, concious. but the doctor said they were going to insert a tube through mouth to lungs to give pressure so that my child would breath ease. During that attempt they said that my child started bleeding , but i believe that they had done something wrong. Later they informed us that our child was in a very critical condition which could not be rectified easily as my child suspected to be affected by a familial disease HLH - Hemaphagocytic lymphohistiocytosis( no such familial records was there) under the opinion of a haemotologist. As they said there was no point in keeping him in medical supervision as everything was out of hand and also it was said that my child would die if removed from the ventilation and even with ventilation he won't survice. But my child died there but they had given him to us stating discharged against medical advise. Just imagine how we would have felt, without even noticed or imagined lost our child.

so kindly take necessary actions against them so that this would not happen again to anybody else in the world. The hospital and doctors are answerable to me,
1. why even after admitting for such a long period - no diagnosis made?
2. why no stable statements had given by the doctor (Dr. Murugan Jeyaram)?
3. can a pediatrician be short tempered?
4. why the heamotologist in madurai had not informed us about the serious condition if it was so?
5. why such irresponsibility was there in the ambulance?
4. did the disease developed overnight.?
5. why and what were the drugs administered?
6. is it necessary for my child to be given the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)?
7. was there any mistake made in the procedure of CPAP which lead to massive pulmonary bleeding?

still many such unknown queries are there.

By
S.X.Kavitha Alphonsa,
3/308, east street,
Iravathanallur,
madurai - 625 009
tamil nadu
Ph: 9043718789 / 9894171215

filed against

Apollo multi speciality hospital, madurai
Apollo children's hospital, chennai
Dr. Murugan Jeyaram - madurai
Dr.Sathish kumar - chennai (PICU)