BJP MLA Kirti Kumari dies of swine flu, Rajasthan medical facility comes under scanner

Fifty-year-old Kirti Kumari, the BJP MLA from Mandalgarh in Bhilwara district, died of swine flu on Monday. She was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Jaipur after being referred from the SMS hospital on Sunday night.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje took to Twitter to express her condolences. "I express grief over Kirti Kumari's untimely death. Her death is a huge setback for me and the BJP family," she tweeted. She also said: "She was an inseparable part of our family. May God help her family members to face the situation strongly in this bad time."

Kumari was rushed to a private hospital in Kota on Saturday after she complained of breathlessness from where she was brought to SMS hospital, Jaipur, in the evening.

"She was suffering from a cough and cold for the last few days," Mrityunjay Singh, Kirti Kumari's brother told DNA. "On the advice of a local physician at Bijolia, she was taken to Sudha Hospital in Kota where doctors suspected her suffering from swine flu. She was referred to SMS hospital and we reached there around 7 pm on Saturday," he added.

As per a statement issued by the office of SMS hospital superintendent, Kumari was admitted in specialty medical ICU and was undergoing treatment under a team of doctors, including three veterans Dr Raman Sharma, Dr Pradeep Mittal and Dr CK Vyas.

"Test report on Sunday confirmed that she was suffering from swine flu and the infection had spread her lungs," Kalicharan Saraf, state health minister said.

"As ECMO ventilator at SMS hospital was occupied so after inquiring at Eternal hospital and Fortis Hospital, she was shifted to Fortis hospital at 7 pm," said Saraf.

"She was put on ECMO ventilator here and a team of specialist doctors tried best to save her," Dr Shrikant Swami, Medical Director, Fortis Hospital told DNA.