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Mansa civil hospital ‘lapse’: Fact-finding panel starts probe
Health minister had ordered a probe on Friday after two patients were found abandoned, one of whom died
A two-member panel appointed by the state health director reached Mansa on Saturday to start a time-bound probe in a case where two patients of the civil hospital were abandoned on the roadside this week, one of whom died.
Director Adarshpal Kaur said that Mohali civil surgeon Dr Mahesh Ahuja and senior medical officer Dr Subhsah Chander have been asked to submit a detailed report in three days.
“The incident, that took place at Mansa Civil Hospital this week, was unfortunate. The team has been tasked to conduct an in-depth investigation from all aspects. Further action will be taken on the basis of the report submitted by the fact-finding panel,” she added.
Besides going through the official records of the affected patients, the committee will scan CCTV camera footage at the hospital, take statements of the ambulance driver, who claimed to have abandoned the ailing patients at the directions of a few hospital doctors, the volunteers who were taking care of these patients at the civil hospital, those who spotted the body and rescued another patient from the roadside, the director added.
“As per the available information, the deceased Karan was 32 years old with a history of tuberculosis. But he somehow left the treatment midway. No medical record suggests that either of the patients were suffering from HIV infection,” she further stated.
As per the information, Karan and another 42-year-old unnamed patient were admitted at Mansa Civil Hospital in October. As both patients were without family members at the hospital, a group of ambulance operators volunteered to take care of the sick persons.
The 42-year-old patient, who is stated to be mentally unstable and unable to share any information about himself or his family, was being treated for a fractured leg and arm.
Police officials said even after 72 hours, no one has turned up to claim Karan’s body which has been kept at the hospital’s mortuary.
Official sources said it is important to ascertain under what circumstances the patients, who were barely able to walk, were found so far off from the hospital, and CCTV footage can provide clinching evidence in the matter.
It was volunteers, who first raised an alarm after both the patients went missing from the hospital this week. The patients were later found abandoned in separate locations about 4 km away from the hospital. Karan was found dead and the other patient was rescued and admitted back to the civil hospital on November 22.
Later an ambulance driver claimed to have dropped the patients at separate locations after a couple of doctors allegedly hired him for the task.
