5 deaths in 2 months: PGIMS Rohtak finds no negligence by doctors, exact cause remains unclear

The panel has not been able to establish the exact cause of death or identify any common factor because autopsies were not conducted

The five-member inquiry panel constituted by the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, has found no negligence on the part of doctors or hospital staff in connection with the deaths of five patients within a span of about two months.

PGIMS director Dr. Suresh Kumar Singhal said the panel had submitted its report and there was no common cause behind the five deaths. (HT)

The panel has not been able to establish the exact cause of death or identify any common factor because autopsies were not conducted.

PGIMS director Dr. Suresh Kumar Singhal said the panel had submitted its report and there was no common cause behind the five deaths. But he said that from now medical-autopsy of all the unexplained deaths will be made mandatory.

“Since autopsy was not conducted, the doctors’ panel could not reach a concrete conclusion about the exact cause of death. However, the report indicates that there was no negligence on the part of the doctors or hospital staff who were examining and treating the patients,” Singhal said.

He said the deaths involved patients from different departments and suffering from different ailments, and the available medical records did not point to any common cause.

The inquiry had been ordered under the medical superintendent after five patients died at the institute over a period of about two months, raising questions about whether there was any common medical or treatment-related factor behind the deaths. However, the panel could not submit the report by the deadline of August end.

According to the information the committee examined the available medical records, treatment histories and the sequence of events surrounding the deaths.

The decision is aimed at ensuring that in cases where the clinical cause of death is not clear, an autopsy can provide medical evidence to establish the exact cause and help institutions examine whether any treatment-related factor contributed to the death.

The details of the five patients have not been officially shared by the institute. However, sources said the deaths involved patients from different departments and with different ailments. Two of the patients had undergone dental surgeries, while the three others had undergone procedures in different departments.