Ministry reminder to Director, Health and Family Welfare

LUDHIANA: The state health ministry has issued a reminder letter to the Director, Health and Family Welfare, to immediately act upon the complaint submitted by Raj Kumar Saathi against the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the Civil Hospital in the Amrita death case.

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 17

The state health ministry has issued a reminder letter to the Director, Health and Family Welfare, to immediately act upon the complaint submitted by Raj Kumar Saathi against the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the Civil Hospital in the Amrita death case.

Earlier, the ministry had written a letter on September 6 and had asked to act upon the complaint submitted by Saathi and submit the reply within 15 days but the reply has not been submitted so far.

In a letter written to the Director, Health and Family Welfare, a few days back, the ministry has asked the Director to immediately reply to the complaint submitted by Saathi, in which he had accused Dr Kulwinder Singh, SMO, Civil Hospital, of fabricating and changing the record of three maternal deaths caused due to criminal negligence of Dr Malwinder Mala.

Saathi, brother-in-law of Amrita, who had been pursuing the death case of Amrita had written to Chief Election Commission in February this year. Acting upon the complaint submitted by Saathi, the Election Commission had forwarded the complaint to the Punjab Health Ministry and asked to take appropriate action and the Health Ministry has asked the Director to inquire into the complaint and reply back within 15 days. The Director failed to do so and a reminder letter has been issued now.

Saathi said, “SMO, Dr Kulwinder Singh is husband of Dr Malwinder Mala. I had also submitted a complaint with the police commissioner regarding Amrita’s death and the police inquiry was marked into the case. The police took my statements but no statement of the doctor was taken. Since the police station is located inside the Civil Hospital, I had serious doubts that the police investigation into the case will not be done in a fair manner.”

Saathi had also filed an appeal to the State Information Commission (SIC) and demanded a copy of investigation report regarding the death of Amrita. The Punjab Government had formed a state-level committee to probe into the reason behind the death. Director Research and Medical Education (DRME) Manjit Kaur Mohi, Director Health HS Bali and Dr Pooja Sikka, consultant of the PGI, were the members of this committee. They had completed their investigation and submitted the report to the office of Principal Secretary Health on 14 January, 2016. But the report of

the investigation committee was not shared with anyone and neither the government took action against any doctors or staff who was related to the surgery of Amrita. Saathi had then sent an appeal to the SIC to know about the findings of the report.

“The next hearing is on November 13 and I am hopeful of getting the report. After getting the copy of the report, I will file a case in the court against five persons, including two doctors,” said he.

SMO Kulwinder Singh said the inquiry was held in 2015 and that time he was not posted here and he was not influencing anybody in the investigations.