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PMC issues notice to Sahyadri Hospital after couple dies post liver transplant
The case concerns Bapu Komkar, 49, who underwent a liver transplant at the hospital on August 15, with his wife Kamini Komkar, 46, as the live donor. Bapu died on August 17, and Kamini on August 21
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday issued a notice to Sahyadri Super Specialty Hospitals, Deccan, after the death of a couple following a liver transplant surgery. Taking suo motu cognizance of the reports, the civic body served a notice, seeking a detailed explanation from the doctors involved, and gave them 24 hours to respond, officials said.
This is the second such notice that the hospital has received after the state health department sought an explanation on Sunday.
Additionally, the hospital has been asked to submit an opinion on whether any negligence occurred in relation to the deaths of both patients during the surgery.
The case concerns Bapu Komkar, 49, who underwent a liver transplant at the hospital on August 15, with his wife Kamini Komkar, 46, as the live donor. Bapu died on August 17, and Kamini on August 21. The relatives of the deceased have alleged medical negligence and demanded a probe.
Balraj Wadekar, a relative of the deceased, said, “The entire family is in shock, and we are occupied with the last rites. We will file a complaint with the police on Wednesday or Thursday. There was some mistake and negligence on the part of the hospital that caused the death. The donor was my sister, and she had no morbid conditions like hypertension or diabetes.”
“We have asked the hospital management to submit a detailed explanation from the concerned doctors within 24 hours, including clarity on the medical steps taken during the surgery,” said Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health officer, PMC.
Earlier in the day, Sahyadri Hospital also submitted its reply to the notice issued by the state health department. The response, consisting of case files and medical records, will now be reviewed by an expert panel, officials said.
“We received a notice from the deputy director of health, and the hospital has already submitted its detailed response. Some additional information is also sought, to which we will be sharing our response. We will extend our fullest cooperation to the authorities and remain committed to transparency and upholding the highest standards of patient care,” read a statement from the hospital.
Meanwhile, the deputy director of health services, Pune region, the competent authority under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, issued a separate notice on Sunday seeking complete details of the procedure and post-operative care.
“The hospital has submitted its response, which includes multiple documents and case files. These will now be scrutinised by a team of experts. The panel will review the documents and recommend appropriate action,” said Dr Bhagwan Pawar, deputy director of health services, Pune region.
The health department has asked the hospital to provide copies of the authorisation committee’s approval along with a video recording of its proceedings, attested photocopies of all documents submitted to the committee, and complete treatment records of both Bapu (recipient) and Kamini (donor), including pre-operative, surgical, and post-operative details.
The hospital has also been asked to clarify whether any FIR or police complaint has been registered in connection with the deaths, and if so, to submit copies of related documents.
Additionally, the hospital has been directed to furnish a written clarification signed by the specialist doctors deemed eligible to perform the transplant, along with the names of the surgeons who conducted the procedure and the complete list of all doctors and staff present. Attested copies of approval orders from the competent authority and the operation theatre swab culture test reports have also been sought.
Officials said the expert panel’s findings will determine the next course of action.
