Alleged medical negligence in cholera case: Clean chit to Panchkula Civil Hospital

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 22

A three-member committee of doctors that carried out an investigation into the allegations of medical negligence by the father of a nine-year-old boy, who died of cholera, has given a clean chit to the Civil Hospital.

Just an advisory has been issued by the Civil Surgeon’s Office for handling such cases in future so that similar incidents can be avoided. The report submitted by the committee found no negligence on the part of doctors or staff.

The victim, Arpit Kumar from Abheypur, had died of cholera on July 14, following which his father Anil Kumar had alleged medical negligence on the part of Civil Hospital doctors. He had alleged that doctors discharged his son even when his condition was unstable.

Two days later, on July 16, Civil Surgeon Mukta Kumar ordered an inquiry into the matter, seeking a report by July 20.

“The members of the committee came to the conclusion that the victim’s father insisted to take his son home on July 14 morning. Also, after his examination in the OPD before discharge from the hospital, the father had been prescribed to give his son a certain amount of ORS after watery stool. He was also told that if his son’s condition deteriorates, he should be rushed to the hospital,” said Civil Surgeon Dr Mukta Kumar, adding that they didn’t have some records regarding the patient’s discharge from the hospital.

Dr Kumar added she had issued an advisory to the Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of the Civil Hospital for laying down specific guidelines for doctors in handling such cases in future.

She said no further probe would be conducted in the case.

“As per the guidelines, no doctor in the emergency will send a patient to the OPD without he/she being completely stable. Patient from the emergency ward will be either shifted to the designated ward or discharged,” the CMO said.

Other instructions include mandatory short-stay file for every patient given IV line/IV fluid, all patients admitted to the emergency be examined by specialist, specialist’s round in emergency to be held between 8 am and 10 am, all files to be maintained properly in reference to entries, in case of “discharge on request’’, written consent of the patient is must.

Meanwhile, Anil Kumar, the father of the deceased, has alleged his view was not taken into the consideration by the committee.

“Nobody tried to contact me. I didn’t receive any call from any official,” he said.

He said: “I didn’t insist on discharging my son. In the emergency ward, a sanitation worker had asked me to take my son to the OPD. Then, I took my son to the OPD where he couldn’t stand properly. I had specifically asked the doctor if there was a need for further hospitalisation? However, the doctor still discharged him.”

The Civil Surgeon said: “The committee tried to record the boy’s father version, but couldn’t do so as he was not present in the town.”

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