NEW DELHI: Believe it, we now have fake surgeons in the city. Four people posing as doctors have been arrested for performing surgeries at a South Delhi medical centre. What’s more shocking is that the patients died due to surgeries performed by these fake doctors.
The incident came to light when a woman lodged a police complaint alleging that she took her husband Asgar Ali to Agarwal Medical Centre in Greater Kailash for the removal of a bladder stone on September 19 this year.
Hospital director Dr Neeraj Agarwal stated that the surgery would be conducted by surgeon Dr Jaspreet Singh Bajwa, the complainant said. But minutes before the procedure was to start, Dr Agarwal said Dr Jaspreet Singh could not come due to some urgency, and instead Dr Mahender Singh would replace him, the complainant said.
“A woman was also introduced as Dr Pooja to the complainant, who instructed the nurse to measure her husband’s blood pressure. The complainant stated that the surgery of her husband was conducted by Dr Mahender Singh, Dr Neeraj Agarwal and Dr Pooja,” DCP (south) Chandan Chowdhary said.
The complainant alleged that she came to know that Dr Mahender Singh and Dr Pooja are not doctors. When her husband was shifted from the operation theatre, he complained of severe pain, the complainant said. He was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital where he was declared dead.
The police began an investigation and found that Dr Jaspreet Singh Bajwa was not present in Greater Kailash on the day of the surgery. It was found that seven complaints were filed with the Delhi Medical Council against Agrawal Medical Centre and Dr Neeraj Agrawal and his wife Puja Agrawal since 2016.
As per the autopsy report of Asgar Ali, it is stated that the cause of death is a “hemorrhagic shock as a complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy”.Dr Niraj Agarawal, his wife Pooja Agrawal who worked as an assistant in the centre), Mahender (ex-lab technician) and Dr Jaspreet have been arrested.
Death exposed racket
The racket came to light after the September 19 incident of gallbladder stone removal surgery. When the patient died and his wife took up the case, the police raided the hospital premises and found 414 prescription slips, banned medicines, expired surgical blades and chequebooks of 47 banks.