SMO of Ludhiana Civil Hospital lacked control, supervision over staff, management: Probe

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, September 12

The Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the Civil Hospital here lacked control and supervision over staff and management, a high-level probe has observed.

The inquiry into the death of an unidentified patient at the hospital on August 27 was conducted by a panel, headed by Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik as its chairperson and comprising Additional Deputy Commissioner Gautam Jain, SDM (East) Gursimran Singh Dhillon and Civil Surgeon Hatinder Kaur as members.

“The inquiry committee finds that the SMO should have stricter control and supervision over the staff and management, which is missing in the above incident,” the report has concluded.

Dr Mandeep Sidhu was posted as the SMO in-charge of the hospital.

The inquiry, ordered by Chief Secretary Anurag Verma while taking cognisance of the matter on August 29, had already reported additional/supervisory lapses on the part of five other doctors and lack of better management/ vigilance on the part of another doctor on duty at the hospital on the fateful day.

“It is observed that the SMO in-charge is required to ensure that the management of the hospital and SOPs are duly followed in management of patients and required treatment be given to patients admitted to all wards,” the probe panel noted in its 26-page report submitted to the Chief Secretary, a copy of which is with The Tribune.

It also observed that duty rosters should not be casually maintained and implemented. “The late coming behaviour of doctors/ house surgeons also required handling with a firm hand as the lives of the patients are at stake,” the committee submitted.

The panel recommended that leave of the staff should be sanctioned as per guidelines and substitutes should be arranged and posted before sanctioning leave applications by the competent authority.

“The casual late coming behaviour should be strictly curbed and action should be taken against absentees or those arriving late for duty,” it asserted while advising that special cases should be taken so that the patient management was not compromised during the shift change over timings.

Recommending improvement in the bedside manner, the inquiry report said the doctors as well as paramedical staff should be polite and empathetic towards the patients. “Rude and casual behaviour on the part of the treating team should be strictly dealt with,” it asserted while stressing that medical training should include sessions on behaviour and manners while dealing with patients. The panel suggested compulsory sudden/ supervisory rounds by administrative doctors. “The attendance, clinical management and adherence to patient management SOPs should be regularly monitored and supervised by the administrative doctors,” it said.

Pointing at the absence of the house surgeon on duty, the probe observed that the surgeon, Dr Baljeevan, had put CPR notes on the file of the patient on behalf of Dr Loveleen (in his absence), which was a wrong practice and should be avoided. “The committee finds that though this sort of practice should be avoided, it is of the opinion that proper medico legal training should be provided to all house surgeons/ fresh graduates from the medical profession,” it submitted, while mentioning that intentions of Dr Baljeevan were not malafide.

Finding several overwritings for duty change without the approval of the competent authority in roster of doctors, the committee was informed that house surgeons mutually adjusted the duties and sometimes without the knowledge of the nodal officer/SMO.

“Thus, it is observed that this system of duties is casually operated at the Civil Hospital without due understanding of importance of medical duties,” it noted while reporting that the incident corroborated the casual manner of operation of duty rosters as Dr Sunaiya was found on leave without alternative arrangements at the incident time and day and Dr Loveleen Singh Lall had also reached late on duty on the fateful day.

“The committee concluded that the duty roster should be strictly implemented and followed to avoid any such dereliction of duty in future,” the report added.

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