Health panel fines Rs 25K on AMRI Hospital for CT scan fiasco

Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on AMRI Hospital Dhakuria as it had allegedly goofed up with a CT scan of brain on an elderly woman. The Commission also directed the hospital to refund Rs 2,506 to the patient's family as the latter was charged an exorbitant bill.

One Kishalay Roy admitted his mother to the hospital after she fell in the bathroom at around 2.30 pm of July 13. When the patient was taken to the emergency department of the hospital, the treating doctor suggested a CT scan of the brain along with a series of other tests.

The hospital did not, however, perform a CT scan of the patient till the next day. The patient's son went to visit in the afternoon on the very next day and asked the on-duty RMO and nurse whether a brain CT scan was done and got a reply in negative.

After the matter was raised by the family members of the patient, the hospital conducted the CT scan on her.

"The CT scan of the brain was done more than 24 hours after the treating doctor recommended it. The hospital said that as various other parameters were normal they did not carry out the CT scan. We have imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the hospital. It has also been asked to return Rs 2,506 as the patient was excessively charged on medical bills," said WBCERC Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Banerjee.