Two doctors, UT hospital booked for false stenting

Our Correspondent

Palampur, November 29

The police have registered an FIR against a doctor of a private hospital in Chandigarh, the hospital management and a doctor posted in the ECHS centre, Palampur, for allegedly conducting an angioplasty and inserting stents into the arteries of an ex-serviceman without having any ailment.

Briefing mediapersons here this morning, DSP Vikas Dhiman said a case under Section 420, 307, 201 and 34 of the IPC had been registered against the doctors on the complaint of Jagan Nath Thakur, an ex-serviceman, here.

The DSP said Jagan Nath reportedly had no heart ailment and gone only for check-up in the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) centre at Holta. The ex-serviceman had alleged that the ECHS doctor referred him to a private hospital in Chandigarh. This hospital was empanelled with the Army authorities for cashless treatment. He had said before the angioplasty procedure, he was never told that the stents were being inserted into his arteries. He was forced to sign a blank form. The DSP said the complainant had told the police that he had visited the hospital in Chandigarh many times and requested the doctors to provide him the CD of the first angiography, but it was never provided to him.

Later, he reported the matter to the police. The DSP said during preliminary investigation, the police also requested the hospital management to provide the first angiography report along with CD but the hospital did not provide these to the police which raised many doubts. After completing the investigation, the police had registered a criminal case against two doctors and the management of the hospital and also sought the report from the local ECHS unit which was still awaited. The doctor at the ECHS unit is now settled in Mukerian.

He said no arrests had been made. Police teams were being sent to Chandigarh and Mukerian to arrest the culprits.