Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Dec 21: A family from Anantnag has alleged medical negligence at Shifa Hospital in Srinagar’s Magarmal Bagh and have submitted their representation to LG Manoj Sinha, prompting the authorities to order a probe.
In the letter, Tawseef Ahmad Nath from Wanpoh Anantnag complained that her spouse was diagnosed with sub mucosal fibroid Uterus and was undergoing treatment from the last one year from Dr Syed Nawaz.
He said her wife was advised for a simple Laparoscopic procedure which at maximum takes half an hour to one hour.
“On November 23, I admitted my spouse for the above said procedure at Shifa Hospital at Magarmal Bagh Srinagar on the recommendation of Dr Syed Nawaz and was given room No 201 with MRD no 22-0044588. My spouse was taken to operation theatre for surgical procedure in a fully stable condition as fortified by pre surgery report. Dr Syed Nawaz (Gynecologist) and Dr Gulzar Ahmad were the doctors undertaking the said surgical procedure,” he alleged in the letter.
After a long wait and enquiry about the well being of the patient, it was learnt that the patient is unstable and kept in dark for six hours, Nath said. “Subsequently we were wonder struck to known due to overdose of some medicine known as Glycine, her vital organs including heart, lungs, kidneys have got involved. Due to excess dosage of the medicines during the surgery it has diluted the blood beyond the permissible limits and affected the electrolyte levels,” the letter reads.
On the top of it, it said, the doctors used expired injectable medicines for which the hospital authorities apologized later. “To my utter surprise they told me ‘nothing will happen to patient by expired medicine’. The whole episode has also been video-graphed by me’,” said the letter, a copy of which was mailed to Chief Secretary and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir as well.
“Further for the medical negligence and apathy of doctors and paramedics involved in the process, I was charged Rs 2 lakh. I was threatened by hospital staff and Dr Syed Nawaz and coerced to pay the bill. Upon asking for providing bill and account number for remittance of payment, they got provoked and threatened me to pay the amount in cash and advised the staff not to entertain bank Card, e-banking or Cheque,” it said.
“As a result of the said negligence, my spouse was in coma for 2 days for such a simple procedure. Now they have left my wife disabled as is known by recent MRI that Edema of brain has occurred to her due to medical negligence. My spouse prior to her surgery was perfectly healthy. The negligence is also testified from the fact that against pre-operative HB level of 14, she was left at the mercy of situation with the HB level of 7 leaving my spouse as a corpse,” it said while urging for inquiry to save lives of people and responsibility is fixed on the accused.
Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has taken cognizance of the compliant and has directed Principal GMC Srinagar to constitute five member committee to conduct an inquiry into the case within a week.
“You are directed to constitute a committee of 05 (five) members headed by you (Principal GMC), including 02 Doctors from GMC Srinagar preferably one Senior Anestheologist, 01(Gynecologist) from LD Hospital of Assistant Professor Rank, 01 Doctor from SKIMS Soura & Deputy Drug Controller Kashmir as well. The committee so constituted shall submit the requisite enquiry report with regard to medical negligence etc, along with its findings, recommendations and concrete comments to this office within a week’s time positively,” said the letter to Principal GMC.
