State Health Commission fines Woodlands Hosp for negligence
Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has directed Woodlands Hospital to pay a compensation of Rs 20,000 to the family members of an infant after it found negligence on the part of the private hospital.
The Commission said that Jinia Mukherjee, a resident Dhakuria admitted her one month baby boy to the Woodlands where the baby was kept for one day and later shifted to another hospital. It was later noticed that the baby developed an infection on his leg. The nursing staff in the Woodlands fixed an oximeter on his leg with a leucoplast. As it remained for a long time without being noticed, an infection might have developed. The Commission has found lapses and asked the hospital to pay the compensation. The incident happened in February this year but the baby still has some swollen marks on his leg.
A 45-year-old Chinmay Ghosh was admitted to the Divine Nursing Home and later shifted to Medica Hospital as his condition turned critical. He was kept under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for 31 days, the entire period of treatment in the hospital. The patient finally died November 22 this year after being admitted on October 23. The hospital asked the family members to pay Rs 39 lakh. The victim's father Rabindranath Ghosh who claimed himself to be a farmer sought the intervention of the WBCERC and said that they paid Rs 26 lakh. It would not be possible to pay the remaining amount. The hospital has finally discounted Rs 10 lakh following the intervention of the Commission. The victim's family was given installment facilities by the Commission to pay Rs 3 lakh. The family claimed that they have already given a post dated cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the hospital. The Commission has directed the hospital to collect only Rs 2 lakh if the cheque is honoured. The family members have also agreed to pay the amount in cash.
The WBCERC also asked Narayana hospital in Barasat to refund Rs 26,000 to the family members of Barun Ghosh, a patient who was allegedly wrongly treated. The Commission asked the family members to go to the medical council to ascertain if there was any negligence in the treatment. It was alleged that gallbladder operation was wrongly done as a result ruptures occurred on his rectum. The patient eventually developed sepsis and one of his hands had to be amputated.
Badal Goswami Disha lodged a complaint that his cataract operation was done at Disha Eye Hospital in Sinthi and following which an infection had developed and he lost his vision on that particular eye. He also alleged that he consulted another doctor who suggested cornea implant and it would require around Rs 50,000. Goswami told the Commission that he is unable to pay the amount. The Commission finally asked the Disha Hospital to conduct the cornea implant at free of cost as he has a Swasthya Sathi card. The patient would undergo the surgery at Disha Hospital in Barrackpore, the main branch of the private hospital group.
