Patient with chest pain given cardiac arrest medicine on mere 'suspicion'

A person who was admitted to a private nursing home at Barasat in North 24 Parganas with chest pain was wrongly administered drug, meant for patients suffering from cardiac arrest by a doctor at the ICU of a private nursing home.

This had resulted in serious implications on the patient who is still undergoing treatment at Barasat district hospital. The victim has written to Chandima Bhattacharya, the Minister of State for Health urging her to take strong action against the accused doctor. The patient has also registered complaints at various forums including the Indian Medical Association seeking justice.

The victim Sekhar Dutta, a resident of Barasat, was admitted to Care and Cure Hospital situated at Nabapally area of Barasat as he was suffering from respiratory distress accompanied with chest pain. As it has been alleged, the patient ha to be shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as his pulse rate was going down. Dr Gopal Ghosh, an MBBS doctor who was allegedly on the charge of the ICU, allegedly administered wrong drug which is generally given to the patients suffering from cardiac arrest. Immediately after being administered the drug, the patient felt jolts within his body and he started vomiting.

In his letter to the minister, Dutta stated that when the on duty nurses went to the accused Dr Ghosh during late night on May 12 and told him that the patient's condition deteriorated, the accused said: "I am tired. Let me sleep." Dutta raised questions on how an MBBS doctor can be given the charge of the ICU. He also pointed out that he was actually admitted under a cardiologist who did not attend the patient.

"How did an MBBS doctor administer an important drug without the consent of a specialist doctor? As the pulse rate had gone down, the accused thought that I might have suffered a heart attack and administered two injections on mere 'suspicion'. The medicine that was administered on me can be applied on a patient only one in a life time that too when he/she suffers from a heart attack. Now who will take the responsibility of gross negligency?" Dutta questioned.

On the very next day, the patient was taken to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital where the doctors initially faced difficulties to ascertain what happened to the patient. Echo cardiography and other necessary tests were performed on the patient. Dutta was later released from the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital a few days after his admission.

Dutta later had to get admitted to Barasat District Hospital as his condition deteriorated and he is still undergoing treatment at the hospital. He urged the minister to take steps in this regard. Accused doctor could not be contacted. None of the officials of the Care Cure Nursing Home was available for comment.