6-year-old dies after 'anaesthesia overdose' at Greater Noida diagnostic centre; facility sealed

NOIDA: The district health department sealed a private diagnostic facility in Greater Noida on Friday after a six-year-old child died, allegedly due to an anaesthesia overdose administered for an MRI scan.The child was undergoing treatment for recurring seizures and was referred for diagnostic imaging to determine the underlying condition. On Thursday, he was taken to KB Diagnostic Centre in Sector P-3 for the scan. Health officials said while preparing him for an MRI, the boy was administered anaesthesia. After the scan, when the child reportedly failed to regain consciousness within the expected recovery window, attendants rushed him to a nearby hospital, but doctors declared him dead.Dr Chandan Soni, registrar (health) told TOI that a team visited the centre on Friday and sealed the premises as a precautionary administrative measure "to secure medical records, equipment and documentation relevant to the probe". A team has also been formed to investigate the matter.While the autopsy has not conclusively established the cause of death, viscera samples have been sent to Ghaziabad for forensic analysis. According to health officials, forensic findings will be crucial in determining whether anaesthesia complications or any other medical factor contributed to the death.Soni said the child's family has yet to submit a written complaint to the health department. The on-site inspections came after police alerted them.Beta-2 police told TOI that they have received a complaint in the matter and initiated procedural action. "In such cases of medical negligence, an FIR can be lodged only after the health department investigation," SHO Beta-2 Vinod Kumar said.The owner of the diagnostic centre, meanwhile, denied the allegations of negligence. "The patient was already suffering from seizures. After the MRI, he walked out, but his condition deteriorated. Hence, the anesthesiologist took him to a nearby hospital. The rest of the findings will be understood after the investigation," owner of KB Diagnostic Centre S Bhargava said. He added that there was no dedicated anesthesiologist at the centre, and doctors on the panel visit the centre with their equipment based on availability and requirements.While the diagnostic centre is registered, health officials said subsequent legal and administrative measures would depend on both the forensic analysis report and the department's internal findings. "Until then, the diagnostic centre will remain sealed," said an official.Meanwhile, doctors told TOI that administering anaesthesia within limited dosage to minors for MRI, typically for children under 7-8 years old or those unable to remain still, is a safe, routine procedure to ensure image quality and eliminate anxiety.