Tharparkar ambulance oxygen cylinder blast toll rises to nine

The death toll from an oxygen cylinder explosion in an ambulance in Sindh’s Tharparkar district rose to nine on Thursday, Mithi Deputy Commissioner Hameed Jagirani said, Dawn reported.

The blast happened on Wednesday night at a hospital run by the Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) in the Dano Dhandhal area of Nagarparkar taluka.

What happened

Jagirani said the cylinder exploded while oxygen was being set up for a female patient in the ambulance.

The woman had given birth to a baby boy at a basic health unit. She was being shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Mithi because of post-surgical complications when the blast occurred, Jagirani said.

PPHI District Manager Ibrahim Kumbhar said some staff members of the health facility were also among the dead. The toll stood at seven on Wednesday night, and five people suffered burns.

Response

• President Asif Ali Zardari ordered a transparent inquiry into the cause and told authorities to strengthen safety measures, the Presidency said.
• Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced Rs2 million for the family of each of the nine victims, ordered an inquiry and told officials to give the injured the best possible care. He sent PPP MPA Qasim Soomro to Nagarparkar to oversee relief.
• PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called for a thorough investigation and said those responsible should face the strictest punishment if negligence or a criminal act is found. He described the loss of life as deeply distressing, expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and called for a review of safety arrangements in Tharparkar.

Background: health care in Thar

Tharparkar is one of Pakistan’s poorest districts, and patients in remote areas often travel long distances to reach Mithi’s district hospital. The district has also faced drought and migration after its hottest monsoon in 66 years. Many of its basic health units, including the one in Dano Dhandhal, are run by the PPHI.

Oxygen cylinders are kept under high pressure and can explode or feed a fire if they are damaged, overfilled or exposed to oil or grease, which is why hospitals and ambulances are meant to follow strict handling rules.

Why it matters

A woman who had just survived childbirth died in the vehicle meant to save her, along with the staff caring for her. The inquiries ordered by the president and chief minister will need to answer basic questions: whether the cylinder and its regulator were inspected, who filled it, and whether staff were trained to connect it safely.

What we know, and what we don’t

• Known: nine people died, including the patient and health staff; five suffered burns.
• Known: the blast happened as an oxygen cylinder was being connected in the ambulance before the transfer to Mithi.
• Known: inquiries have been ordered by the president and the Sindh chief minister, and families will get Rs2m each.

Still unknown: the cause of the explosion, the condition of the newborn and the injured, and whether other ambulances in the district use similar equipment.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.