GMCH panel finds no medical negligence by staff in 2021 Covid case

GMCH director-principal Dr Jasbinder Kaur said a 63-year-old woman from Baltana, Mohali, was admitted to the hospital on May 8, 2021, with complaints of pain in upper limbs

The medical negligence committee of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, which was probing a case of alleged medical negligence into a Covid-19 testing case, has found no substantial evidence against the doctor or the hospital, officials said on Monday.

Since the patient was admitted during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic, it was a strict protocol to test all surgery/ICU/MRI patients with RTPCR testing. (HT File)

Hospital director-principal Dr Jasbinder Kaur said a 63-year-old woman from Baltana, Mohali, was admitted to the hospital on May 8, 2021, with complaints of pain in upper limbs. Medical examination revealed that she was diabetic and had no blood flow in arteries, causing extreme pain in the right upper limb. Subsequently, the doctors planned an embolectomy (removal of blood clot) to relieve the thrombus and resume blood flow.

Since the patient was admitted during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic, it was a strict protocol to test all surgery/ICU/MRI patients with RTPCR testing.

Due to the high number of tests being done at the time, it was taking more than 24 hours to test any patient within GMCH. So, keeping patient care as priority, where MRI investigation was time-bound, RTCPR test was done through private laboratory after discussing with patient’s attendants.

One sample was sent to the GMCH lab and another to a private hospital, whose report was negative for Covid. Though the report was available before the MRI, the test could not be done as the patient was developing breathlessness. On May 11, the patient was moved to ventilator after severe chest pain and falling unconscious, but she suffered a cardiac arrest and CPR was initiated. She was shifted to ICU as per protocol, but the patient suffered another cardiac arrest on May 13 and could not be revived despite all measures.

Allegations were made by the family that GMCH should have conducted the Covid test and appropriate action should have been taken.

“The medical negligence committee has concluded that there is no substantial evidence which proves that the treating doctor has any monetary consideration for getting laboratory test from a private lab. Further, as per statements given by the doctors and careful examination of the complaint, along with documentary evidence placed on record, the committee is of the opinion that the patient was managed properly as per protocol,” Dr Kaur said, adding that the report had been sent to the Chandigarh SSP for appropriate action.