NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has issued a show-cause notice to the medical superintendent of Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Punjabi Bagh, for medical negligence leading to the death of a patient, in compliance with a last month high court order.
Justice Jasmeet Singh, in an order dated July 13, had noted an HC-appointed committee’s report of September 11, 2021, highlighting “various shortcomings amounting to medical negligence by the doctors treating the brother of the petitioner” following which the Delhi government took action.
The deputy secretary of health and family welfare, who was present before the HC, had assured that appropriate action shall be taken on the report of the committee within four weeks. The matter was then forwarded to the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) for examination and submission of a compliance report and the report reached the Registrar of Delhi Medical Council, seeking a fresh inquiry into the matter.
On the basis of the court-formed committee’s report, the HC had directed the respondent authorities to take “appropriate action” on the matter. However, as per the petitioner, “despite repeated follow-ups (through RTI Applications, phone calls and legal notice), the respondent authorities haven’t taken any action thereon.
The petitioner has also not been given any information with regards to any action or proposed action to be taken by the respondent authorities against Heart Lab Rohini and Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Punjabi Bagh, in compliance with the committee report.
As per the genesis of the plea, the petitioner’s brother was facing chest pain and came to Delhi on March 31, 2016, to seek medical treatment and diagnosis. The brother of the petitioner was diagnosed and treated by Dr B B Chanana of Heart Labs, Rohini, and Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Punjabi Bagh.
What the plea says
The petitioner said standard medical procedures were not followed, consent for administering procedures was not taken, procedures were conducted negligently by unauthorised persons, and proper records were not maintained. Due to medical negligence, the brother of the petitioner died on April 1, 2016.