Three die of 'medical negligence' in different hospitals including SSKM, families stage protests

Kolkata: Three separate incidents of negligence death have been reported from various hospitals including SSKM Hospital in the city.

A 9-month old girl, Subhangi Mallick, a resident of Chanditala in Behala was taken to SSKM on Saturday evening with a swollen boil on her head and fever. After checkup she was sent back home. As her condition deteriorated, the infant was again brought back to the hospital on Sunday morning.

The family members of the victim alleged that the patient was taken to the Alex ward of the hospital where she was administered an injection without admitting her.

This deteriorated her health condition. At around 9 am, she was declared dead. The family members of the victim became infuriated and started staging a demonstration at the hospital alleging medical negligence. The incident caused tension among patients. The victim's family members also alleged that the on duty police personnel misbehaved with them. A scuffle broke out between police and the family members.

The situation was later brought under control following the intervention of the senior police officers.

Another incident took place in Hindmotor area in Hooghly where a former councillor of Uttarpara municipality, Dilip Sarkar, died of medical negligence on late Saturday night.

Sarkar was taken to a private hospital at Hindmotor with severe chest pain at around 2 am on Friday night. As he was declared dead on Sunday morning, the family members of the victim became infuriated and started ransacking the private hospital.

They alleged that the doctor who treated the patient is an Ayurvedic doctor and he applied modern medicine on the patient. They raised questions on how an ayurvedic doctor was appointed as the RMO. They also alleged that due to wrong treatment of the doctors, the patient died. A mob went on rampage ransacking the ICU and other portions of the hospital. They beat up the doctor identified as Ganesh Choudhury.

The incident triggered tension among patients undergoing treatment at the hospital. A huge contingent of police rushed to the private hospital to bring the situation under control. They

dispersed the mob.

The family of choudhury, however, told the police that the doctor had a diploma so that he can treat emergency patients. A probe has been initiated.

The other incident took place at Gopiballavpur Superspeciality hospital where a one-year-old boy died of alleged medical negligence. The family members of the victim ransacked a portion of the hospital following the incident.

According to police, the victim boy, Deepak Hansda complained of abdominal pain and he was taken to the Gopiballavpur Superspeciality hospital on Saturday night.

The victim's mother Rajani Hansda who was accompanying her son and stayed with him at the hospital on Saturday night alleged no doctor turned up and the patient remained unattended when his condition deteriorated.

The victim was later declared dead at around 11 am on Sunday morning. It was also alleged that hospital authorities misbehaved with the family members of the victim. The doctors took refuge inside a room of the hospital to save themselves when the mob was carrying out a rampage. Police later brought the situation under control.