Howrah resident brings allegation of medical negligence against Apollo Hospital

Kolkata: Jayanto Mohanto, a resident of Howrah's Jagachha, has registered a complaint of medical negligence with the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission against the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital.

In his complaint, Mohanto brought the charges of glaring medical negligence against the hospital authorities. He alleged that the hospital had provided an 'erroneous' biopsy report of his father, on the basis of which the hospital doctors insisted on doing a second surgery on the patient. The complainant also claimed in his letter that the report submitted by the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital had been contradicted by the two top cancer hospitals in the city, including the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI).

Mohanto further alleged that when they drew the attention of the hospital management regarding the erroneous Histopathology report, the hospital authorities misbehaved with them and the complainant was allegedly thrown out of the discussion table.

The complainant said he took his father Kanti Lal Mohanto to the hospital for consulting an urologist, with the patient having severe pain in the abdomen and continuous loss of blood through urine.

On first visit, the doctor advised for CT scan of KUB (Kidney, Urinary Bladder). On the same day, the CT scan was performed on the patient at the hospital. Upon the findings of CT scan of KUB, the doctors suspected it to be a case of cancer and suggested immediate operation (T.U.R.B.T & Cystoscopy).

The patient was admitted and the operation was carried out on May 14. The samples of tumors and deep tissue of bladder were sent for biopsy in order to investigate the presence of cancer and the quantum of area already affected in the inner muscular part of the bladder. The patient subsequently got discharged from the hospital.

The complainant also alleged that the doctor had given an estimation for operation and investigation at Rs 1.5 lakh, but at the time of discharge they had to pay Rs 2.13 lakh for complete operation and investigation of presence of cancer and the quantum of damage.

On May 24, the patient's family members received the Histopathology Report and the doctor confirmed that it was high grade Papillary Urothelial Carcinoma, pT2 with deep muscle of bladder affected by the tumor/cancer.

The doctor, after going through the report, recommended immediate surgery for the second time called Radical Cystectomy, in which the amputation of the complete urinary bladder was mandatory. The approximate initial cost of the operation was stated to be around Rs 6 to 7 lakh, as confirmed by the doctor.

The patient later contacted Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), which advised the patient to submit the slides declared by Apollo as high grade Papillary Urothelial Carcinoma.

After review, CNCI confirmed that it is high grade Papillary Urothelial Carcinoma, but deep muscle invasion was not seen in the slides and blocks supplied by Apollo. Another private cancer hospital in the city seconded CNCI's view. The complainant subsequently lodged a complaint with the Phoolbagan police station in this regard.