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In a snub for KGMU, Dy CM Brajesh Pathak rejects probe report, says key questions unanswered
Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak asks KGMU VC to submit revised report into death of patient at Lari Cardiology Centre
Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak has rejected the investigation report submitted by King George’s Medical University (KGMU) into the death of 60-year-old Abrar Khan at Lari Cardiology Centre, saying it is incomplete. The death took place on November 26.
Pathak, who had ordered the probe, on Monday said, “I have rejected the report and asked vice chancellor Prof Soniya Nityanand to submit it again. KGMU’s report on the incident was incomplete as they narrated, in the entire report, what they did for the patient. But they did not answer specific questions regarding the patient.”
“Why KGMU was required to refer the patient when they had ventilators in multiple departments? Did KGMU try to accommodate the patient in any other department? These and other queries have not been answered in the report, hence I rejected it,” Pathak, who holds the medical education portfolio, said.
In its report, KGMU tried to explain how serious the patient’s condition was when he came to campus and what they did for patient, but did not mention what they could have done. This irked the deputy chief minister.
“They (KGMU) have to explain according to their capacity and available resources,” said the deputy chief minister who had recently pointed at premier institutes in the state capital having poor performance at their speciality units/departments. Pathak has said that performance of speciality and super speciality units will be evaluated on the basis of patient services rendered.
The committee set up by KGMU vice chancellor Dr Soniya Nityanand completed its investigation of the events that took place on November 26 (the day of Abrar Khan’s death), and the findings have been reviewed by the VC as well, shared KGMU spokesperson Dr Sudhir Singh.
He also said the final report was based on statements and proof collected by all stakeholding parties.
The committee formed by the VC consisted of chief medical superintendent Dr BK Ojha, medical superintendent Dr Suresh Kumar, and registrar Archana Gaharwar. According to Dr Ojha, both parties were questioned by the committee over the past few days, including the family members and attendants of the deceased as well as the doctors and ward attendants.
“They were asked to provide statements and questioned on their version or recollection of the incident. The doctors were questioned on the exact course of primary treatment taken for the patient. The severity of the disease was taken into account from doctors’ statements and the patient’s previous medical files,” said Ojha.
The KGMU spokesperson stressed that the hospital authorities are not yet at liberty to reveal the names of all those who were interrogated or involved in this investigation.
Saif Khan, family member of the deceased, has said, “We have been told that the Dy CM has received the letter. He will be reviewing the letter and we are hopeful of some action or a response by tomorrow (Tuesday). So far, this is all the information we have received from the authorities. We were under the impression that we would get some answers today.”
Family members of the deceased had alleged that the untimely death was caused due to a lack of ventilators available at Lari Hospital as well as the KGMU Trauma Centre, and the negligence of the doctors at the emergency ward at Lari Hospital.
This is among the latest in a long line of “incompetencies” pointed out at tertiary health centres and superspecialty hospitals lately. Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, as well as King George’s Medical College have, in the recent past, been under the scanner for a number of reasons -- from doctors running private practice on the side at KGMU, to contract staffers duping OPD patients into paying higher registration fees. Additionally, with the advanced diabetes centre at SGPGI lying dormant, many other departments of such medical institutions have been brought into question. A number of internal investigations have been launched at the respective institutions over the past few months to address these issues.
