Dead man found lying with patient: 2 Ludhiana Civil Hospital doctors summoned

The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has summoned two doctors in connection with the shocking incident at Ludhiana Civil Hospital last year, where a deceased man was found lying alongside another patient on the same bed. The commission has directed Dr Mandeep Kaur and Dr Manju Nahar to appear before it on December 2.

The incident, which took place on April 14, 2024, triggered widespread public outrage after disturbing visuals surfaced from the hospital ward. While hospital authorities initially claimed that the man had died shortly before the issue came to light, preliminary reports suggested that he might have been dead for several hours — raising serious concerns about medical negligence and delayed attention.

Since then, the case has remained under the PSHRC lens, with multiple hearings and reports seeking accountability from the hospital administration. On July 8 this year, the commission had issued a strong-worded order, criticising the Health and Family Welfare Department for its vague and inadequate response. The order specifically pointed out that Kirandeep, a senior assistant in the department’s E-2 branch, had failed to clarify whether any action had been taken against the doctors involved.

In a follow-up communication in November 2024, the commission sought a detailed update from the Ludhiana Civil Surgeon, referencing a July 18 report that merely stated that “department action” had been recommended — without outlining the nature or status of such action. Despite repeated reminders, no concrete update had been provided.

In its latest proceedings, the PSHRC noted that officials from the Health Department recently submitted a report prepared by an internal committee. However, the findings of the committee came as a surprise: It did not recommend any action against Dr Mandeep Kaur Sidhu and Dr Manju Nahar.