It’s cold-blooded murder, say shocked families call

They were battling for their lives and, probably, could have won. But it was not to be because the oxygen supply system at the Delhi government's Sushruta Trauma Centre's ICU malfunctioned and they suffocated to death.

Newsline traced the families of three of the five victims.

Mohammad Javed, 20

Bus conductor

Javed of Bhajanpura was working as conductor of a private bus for the past 10 months to keep the home fires burning. Last month, he lost his mother and the family was still mourning her death when another tragedy fell on them. "This is murder and we cannot imagine how they could do this to my brother in a hospital," Javed's 12-year-old sister Mumtaz said.

Javed was taken to the hospital after a speeding car hit him near ISBT in Kashmere Gate on Monday. "He had severe head and face injuries. The doctors operated on him on Monday evening and put him in the ICU," his father, Mohammad Rafiq, said.

"After surgery, they told us he was doing fine but would operate upon him again for his facial injuries in the next 2-3 days," he said.

The family said they heard some "noise" coming from the ICU at 6.45 am on Tuesday, and "lots of people were rushing in and out". "We requested the nurses to let us in, but they refused. Around 11.30 am, they told us that he has died because the oxygen supply was cut off," Javed's aunt Parveen said.

Raj kumari, 38

Daily wage labourer

Raj kumari of Amar Vihar in Swaroop Nagar was admitted to the hospital on November 30 for "ingestion of some poison", according to hospital authorities. Her family said they were not aware of the poison bit, but took her to the hospital when they found her vomiting after returning home from work.

... contd.

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