Apollo docs booked in 2009 'negligence' case

Please read http://www.aalatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/order780.pdf From http://www.deccanherald.com/content/338854/apollo-docs-booked-2009-039negligence039.html Six doctors of Apollo Hospital have been booked for causing death by negligence of a 70-year-old man admitted to the hospital in south-east Delhi’s Sarita Vihar in 2009, police said on Friday. “We have examined the case in detail and found that there was definitely no medical negligence. The patient had multiple pre-existing co-morbid conditions including uncontrolled diabetes, heart and kidney disease. Appropriate medical care and treatment was provided by a competent multi-disciplinary team of doctors and support staff but the patient, sadly, succumbed to his illness. The allegations have no merit whatsoever, and it is very unfortunate that attempts are being made by the complainant to defame and harass the hospital and its doctors. Apollo Hospitals is committed to providing the best care to its patients,” said a statement by the hospital late on Friday night. The Delhi Medical Council also said that according to its report, the patient was duly treated as per established norms. A case was filed with Sarita Vihar police station on May 31 over an order of Saket court after a complaint by Sarita Vihar-resident Meenakshi Jain. The doctors named in the case are Saket Goel, Vinayak Agarwal, S Wangnoo, Rajesh Chawla, Sanjeev Jasuja and S Chatterjee. The hospital has also been named as one of the accused in the complaint. Meenakshi’s father Pawan Kumar Jain was admitted to the hospital on March 6, 2009 with a provincial diagnosis of perianal abscess. Pawan was a known case of diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease, for which he was on medication. “It is alleged that after remaining in the hospital for 27 days, Pawan died on April 1, 2009, due to gross, grave, reckless and culpable criminal negligence of the accused, who had vision, reasonable foresight and complete knowledge and awareness of the consequences of their acts, but showed thorough disregard and indifference,” a police officer said quoting Meenakshi’s allegations. Meenakshi alleges that there was unreasonable delay in conducting surgery for drainage of perianal abscess. “It is claimed that the surgery was performed after an unjustified delay of 20 hours from the time of admission,” the officer added. It is further alleged that cardio-protective medications were discontinued prior to surgery and were not restarted. There was discontinuation of cardiac medicines by the doctors, which were regularly taken by Pawan and which were essential for his cardiac health. “The medicines, especially Tab Deplatt-A, were discontinued and never started again. This contributed to my father suffering a heart attack on March, 27, 2009,” Meenakshi alleges. It is also alleged that anaemia was not corrected on time which proved hazardous for Pawan. It is further alleged that hyponatremia, very low albumin and plasma proteins and blood gases were not managed at all. Meenakshi alleged that had proper diagnosis been made on March 26, 2009 or the morning of March 27, 2009, the heart attack could have been prevented. The hospital and the doctors now face charges under sections 304-A (causing death by negligence), 465 (forgery) and 471 (using forged document as genuine). Dr Goel, however, said Pawan was in sepsis at the time of admission. He told the Delhi Medical Council that he had planned a surgery, but in addition to perianal abscess, Pawan had other co-morbidities which needed to be stabilised. “The patient was evaluated by the cardiologist, nephrologist and anesthetist. After the patient had been pre-operatively evaluated, stabilised, he was taken up for surgery under high-risk consent on March 7, 2009,” Dr Goel told DMC. Debridement was personally done by Dr Goel everyday till March 26, 2009 after which Pawan was seen by Dr Govil.