83-year-old grandmother dies after hospital fails to turn on oxygen tank

83-year-old grandmother dies after hospital fails to turn on oxygen tank

PUBLISHED ON JUL 15, 2014 6:17 AM

A grandmother died from a lack of oxygen to her brain after staff transferring her from one hospital to another did not turn on the oxygen tank after putting her on a ventilator. - ST GRAPHIC

BY IAN POH

SINGAPORE - A grandmother died from a lack of oxygen to her brain after staff transferring her from one hospital to another did not turn on the oxygen tank after putting her on a ventilator.

Madam Ramasamy Krishnama became unresponsive in the three to four minutes that passed before the oxygen was turned on, a coroner's inquiry heard yesterday. No foul play is suspected.

The 83-year-old, who had been warded in June last year at Tan Tock Seng Hospital following a heart attack, was being transferred to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital when the incident took place about a month later.

Madam Ramasamy, who had become dependent on mechanical ventilation, died a few hours after her condition deteriorated owing to "ventilatory failure" that cut off her oxygen supply.

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- wong chee tat :)