JAGATSINGHPUR: The Jagatsinghpur administration on Thursday served a show-cause notice on a doctor, seeking explantation on the death of a patient whose body was found in the waiting room of the district headquarters hospital two days ago.
Additional district medical officer Dr Saroj Kumar Jena issued the show-cause to the DHH doctor after 45-year-old Santosh Kumar Patnaik of Makarpur village under Jagatsinghpur police limits was found dead in the hospital’s waiting room on Tuesday despite being admitted to the casualty ward.
Rendered mentally ill following an accident in 2018, Patnaik reportedly left home on Monday morning for treatment at the DHH, located around 7 km from his house. He walked for around 25 km after crossing the DHH and reached Machgaon Bazaar under Balikuda police limits before collapsing reportedly due to heat stroke.
Locals rushed him to Balikuda community health centre for treatment. As his condition worsened, he was referred to the DHH, where he was admitted to the casualty ward. However, his body was found in the hospital’s waiting room the next day.
Unaware of Patnaik’s identity, the DHH authorities immediately informed the local police which reached the hospital for investigation. An unnatural death case was registered and efforts are launched to determine Patnaik’s identity.
Police said Patnaik’s family had not lodged a missing complaint as he often went out for walks and returned back. After much efforts, the identity of the deceased was ascertained on Wednesday and his body sent for postmortem.
Sources said Patnaik apparently managed to slip out of the casualty ward allegedly due to the negligence of the hospital staff. After reaching the waiting room, he lay down there and later died.
While family members demanded a thorough inquiry into the circumstances leading to his death, Dr Jena said the exact cause of death will be ascertained after the postmortem report is received.
A show-cause notice has been issued to the doctor, who treated the patient in the casualty ward of the hospital, seeking an explanation on how his death occurred in the waiting room, he added.