Gurugram hospital booked for negligence leading to death of COVID patient

Sanjay Yadav

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, July 24

Gurugram police on Friday registered a case of negligence against a Sector-37 based private hospital for allegedly not providing oxygen support, which led to the death of a 44-year-old COVID positive woman.

A case was registered under Section 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC at Sector-10A police station after CMO Dr Virender Yadav forwarded a negligence report.

According to the police, the deceased was identified as Seema Arora, who was admitted in the hospital on June 1. Two days after her admission, she tested positive for COVID-19 and was then shifted to the COVID ward. The deceased was provided with a phone by the family when she was taken to the ward.

It was on June 5 when she called her family saying she had difficulty in breathing and despite repeated requests, she was not provided oxygen support. She requested the family to shift her to another hospital.

The family took shifted her in the critical condition to another hospital, where she died within minutes of admission.

The family alleged that the accused hospital did not provide oxygen support even while being shifted to another hospital in an ambulance despite the patient’s repeated complaints of breathlessness.

The family moved a complaint to the CM window and the CMO office, who after an enquiry found allegations to be true and recommended police action. After Seema’s death, the family members of the deceased had also launched a campaign, #justiceforSeema, on social media.

“We will send a notice to the hospital staff for joining the probe. A case has been registered and further investigation is going on. Action will be taken as per the law,” SHO of Sector-10A police station Sanjay Yadav said.

“The report of the Civil Surgeon has established negligence of hospital staff and now, we want strict action into the matter,” said Sanjay Pradhan, brother of the deceased.