Private hospital makes hash of treatment, de-empanelled

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 19

After the death of six patients at the private Neel Kanth Hospital on April 24, the administration has removed it from the list of hospitals empanelled for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. The decision was taken after a committee constituted by Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira submitted its report on Wednesday.

The committee comprising Deputy Director Local Bodies Dr Rajat Oberoi and Civil Surgeon Dr Charanjit Singh found the hospital guilty of more than one charges. As per reports, the hospital did not have enough number of specialist doctors to treat serious patients.

It also found that the hospital does not have a single full-time anesthesia specialist. The report further states that it did not have any buffer stock of oxygen and that it had failed to inform the district administration regarding the shortage of oxygen.

Khaira said the private hospital has been de-empanelled with immediate effect. He added that a communication to National Accreditation Board of Hospitals (NABH) would also be written requesting them to reconsider their accreditation given to the hospital.

The DC has also asked the committee constituted to look into the complaints of public regarding overcharging by private hospitals as the committee probing the death of six patients had received complaints from the attendants. Khaira said the report has been sent to the Health Department and state government for necessary action.

Earlier, six patients admitted at Neelkanth Hospital had died allegedly due to shortage of oxygen on April 24. The hospital management had alleged that they had informed the Nodal Officer appointed by the administration regarding the shortage. Four of the six deceased were positive patients.

What had happened?

Six patients, four of which were Covid positive, had died one after another in wee hours of April 24 due to shortage of oxygen at Neelkanth Hospital. It was a harrowing time for the attendants of the patients as they frantically searched for oxygen cylinders in the middle of the night

A day before the deaths were reported, the local chapter of IMA had met the district administration and apprised the DC about the shortage of oxygen faced by private hospitals as maximum of the supply was diverted towards Government Medical College which had maximum of the caseload

Earlier, the GMC too had to shift to its buffer supply as it faced shortage. The hospital claimed that it had informed the administration 48 hours prior to the incident which has been denied by the administration