Ludhiana: Patient safety in focus at civil hospital after death ‘due to negligence’ at ward
Initially, the hospital administration replaced broken beds in the unknown ward and installed CCTV cameras to monitor the area closely
: The recent tragedy at Civil Hospital, where a patient lost his life after falling from a stretcher outside an unknown ward, has sparked a wave of changes aimed at improving patient safety and care on the hospital’s premises.
Initially, the hospital administration replaced broken beds in the unknown ward and installed CCTV cameras to monitor the area closely. These steps were taken to address any potential issues related to patient safety.
In the latest development, the hospital management has made a significant policy change. Henceforth, the staff of the main ward will assume responsibility for the care of all patients admitted to the unknown ward during the night-time hours. Senior medical officer Dr Mandeep Kaur Sidhu issued instructions to the main ward staff regarding their new responsibilities.
Previously, patients in the unknown ward received care from a non-governmental organisation (NGO), with four dedicated caretakers assigned to the task. These caregivers attended to patients from 8 am to 5.30 pm, and then they remained in the ward from 8 pm to 8 am the following morning. However, a gap in care existed between 5.30 pm and 8 pm, during which no one was present in the ward.
To address this gap and ensure continuous care, the nursing sister in-charge, house surgeon, and nodal officer stationed at the nursing station will collectively assume responsibility for three hours daily, from 5.30 pm to 8 pm.
Additionally, it has been mandated that the emergency medical officers (EMOs) working in the emergency department conduct regular rounds in the unknown ward every night to further enhance patient monitoring.
The actions taken by the hospital come in the wake of a detailed investigation initiated by the deputy commissioner (DC) following the patient’s death due to fall. Based on the investigation’s findings, various hospital staff members, including two staff nurses and one class four employee, were suspended by the health department for their alleged negligence.
Moreover, under Rule 8 of the Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules 1970, a draft of the defect list was submitted against the IMO of emergency, leading to disciplinary actions against the emergency house surgeon and outsourced cleaning staff. Two house surgeons from the main ward were also subjected to disciplinary action for supervision lapses.
In a related development, the civil hospital is set to receive additional nursing staff due to a shortage. The health department has decided to deploy nursing staff from other healthcare centres to address the staffing needs. This decision will see the transfer of nurses from CHC Manupur, CHC Sidhwabet, CHC Malaud, and CHC Sudhar to Civil Hospital.