Death of 7-yr-old: Haryana min blames Fortis for negligence

GURUGRAM: Health Minister of Haryana Anil Vij on Wednesday said that there was medical negligence, lapses and abdication of responsibilities from the Fortis hospital in the treatment of 7-year-old Adhya, who later succumbed due to her illness.

The Haryana government had initiated an inquiry after there was immense outrage over Rs 15.79 lakh bill that was charged by the hospital from the deceased's family during her 15 days treatment.

Providing details of the report, the senior minister of the Haryana government affirmed that on several parameters the private hospital was found to be guilty. Providing list on number of situations where the hospital was not ethical in its processes, the health minister quoting the inquiry report mentioned that the hospital flouted leave against medical advice (LAMA) norms.

"Under this the management deliberately did not provide the ambulance to the family after they decided to shift to another hospital for their daughter's treatment. It was also observed that there was less transparency in mentioning of the seriousness of Adhya's condition which was probably done with a view to earn more money as form of treatment," the report said.

Citing these incidents were tantamount to criminal offence, the health minister said that they were in the process to file FIR against the hospital. He, however, did not disclose that under which section they were considering filing the official complaint. The Haryana government has ordered to close the blood bank department of the hospital after it was found that there was overcharging of platelets.

The report further stated that the hospital flouted the Indian Medical Association (IMA) guidelines by not providing generic medicines and instead making a whopping profit by giving expensive medicines. The report also states that profits were made to the tune of 108 percent.

On September 14, Adhya was contracted dengue and succumbed to her illness after the disease got complicated. What, however, was shocking was the entire process of her medical treatment. During her 15 days stay at Fortis hospital in Gurugram her parents were charged whopping amount of Rs 18 lakhs.