Lopoke CHC ‘suicide’ case: Kin question report, seek fresh probe
Days after the alleged suicide by a man at the Lopoke Community Health Centre (CHC), the deceased’s family members have raised serious questions over the findings of a five-member medical board constituted to probe the death.
The kin of the deceased have urged authorities to dismiss the current inquiry report, and constitute a fresh, independent high-power medical board comprising senior experts.
The deceased, Vinod Kumar, allegedly died by suicide on January 13 on the hospital premises after reportedly not receiving timely medical attention.
The medical board report was submitted to the Civil Surgeon.
Parveen Kumar, the brother of the deceased, in a detailed representation to the Civil Surgeon, alleged that the existing inquiry report contained “serious contradictions” and “overlooked evidence”, casting a doubt over the transparency and impartiality of the proceedings.
He alleged that the patient’s primary complaint of breathing difficulty was ignored.
Instead, he added, both the doctors’ statements and the board’s report reportedly emphasised abdominal pain — a symptom the complainant claimed was never mentioned by the patient, or the attendant who took him to the hospital.
During the probe, the treating doctor, Dr Sahil Bhardwaj, and staff nurses Gaganpreet Kaur, Paramjit Kaur and Navneet Kaur of the Lopoke CHC were summoned to record their statements.
The deceased’s brother has demanded that the CHC surgeon, who was reportedly consulted along with the Senior Medical Officer and the then Civil Surgeon, also be included in the investigation.
He alleged that medical records did not mention oxygen support or basic emergency checks such as ECG, pulse rate, blood pressure, or blood sugar monitoring.
It was also alleged that, shortly before his death, the patient made a phone call stating that he had been suffering for nearly two hours without proper treatment and was experiencing acute breathing difficulty.
Family members later reportedly found him hanging from the grill of a water tank at the CHC.
