Chandigarh: Follow-up care lacking, says panel probing medical negligence

Chandigarh, July 11

A case of alleged medical negligence at a private hospital in Sector 33 here has come to light following the death of 74-year-old Amarjit Kaur. Her son Sukhwinder Pal Singh Sodhi had lodged a formal complaint detailing a series of alleged malpractices by Dr Harsimran Singh and Dr Parminder Singh that culminated in his mother’s demise.

Following the complaint, a medical negligence committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Dr AK Attri, Director-Principal, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32; Dr Suman, Director, Health and Family Welfare; Dr Sushil K Mahi, Medical Superintendent, GMSH-16; Dr Navin Pandey, Joint Medical Superintendent-cum-Associate Professor, and Dr Pawan Bansal, president, Indian Medical Association. The committee submitted its report on July 9.

In the complaint, Sodhi stated that on March 16, his mother suffered a femur fracture and was admitted to the hospital for surgery. He requested the latest and MRI-compatible implant for his mother and Dr Harsimran gave an assurance in this regard. However, just one day after the surgery Amarjit was discharged.

Fifteen days later, on April 3, 2024, he returned to the hospital with his mother, who was disoriented and had a dangerously low sodium level. Despite these concerns, Dr Harsimran did not admit her and merely prescribed some medication. The following day she experienced severe seizures and was rushed to the GMCH, Sector 32, where she was admitted to the ICU and placed on a ventilator.

The GMCH staff required an MRI, but needed confirmation of the implant’s compatibility. Dr Harsimran initially stated that the implant was MRI-compatible, but refused to give a written assurance, directing him to his father Dr Parminder Singh, who also refused to provide written confirmation. This delay prevented the MRI and Amarjit’s condition worsened. She passed away on April 16 after 12 days in the ICU.

Dr Harsimran Singh and Dr Parminder Singh maintain that the implant used was FDA-approved, CE-certified and MRI-safe, with specific guidelines for safe MRI practices. They assert that Amarjit’s condition had been managed appropriately.

However, expert opinions and the committee’s review paint a different picture. Prof PN Gupta, Prof Rohit Jindal and Associate Prof Ashwani Soni indicated that the patient was advised for hospital admission due to low sodium levels, but the recommendation was allegedly ignored by the private hospital doctors. This oversight combined with inadequate communication about the implant’s MRI compatibility contributed to Amarjit’s deteriorating condition and subsequent death.

Prof Sanjay D’Cruz from the GMCH-32 provided a detailed account of Amarjit’s final days, highlighting her severe seizures, the hospital’s struggle to manage her condition and the complications from delayed MRI clearance. The final diagnosis included refractory septic shock, ventilator-associated pneumonia and new-onset refractory status epilepticus.

The medical committee concluded that while there were no complaints about the surgical procedure itself, the hospital’s follow-up care was severely lacking. The doctors failed to manage low sodium levels according to protocol and did not provide crucial MRI compatibility information in a timely manner. These lapses in medical management led to further complications and ultimately Amarjit’s death. The committee categorised the case as medical negligence.