Report submitted to Health dept over negligence leading to death of 64-year-old

Kolkata: Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMoH) in North 24-Parganas Dr Tapas Roy has submitted a preliminary report to the state Health department regarding the probe initiated against the Bongaon sub-divisional hospital for the death of a 64-year-old businessman who died of alleged medical negligence a week ago.

According to sources, the preliminary report submitted to the Swasthya Bhawan mentions some negligence on the part of the hospital. The Health department will, however, take the decision after going through the final report which is yet to be submitted by the three-member committee constituted by the CMoH.

Incidentally, the hospital authorities have also ordered a separate probe in this regard. The hospital had earlier held the ambulance driver responsible who had allegedly not come up to assist the deceased and his wife despite being clad in Personal Protective Equipment suit. The committee formed by the CMoH, however, found some negligence by other staff members.

On July 25, the victim businessman, Madhab Narayan Dutta, had collapsed when he was trying to board an ambulance inside the hospital compound.

The patient was about to be shifted to another hospital. He had a severe breathing problem. His wife tried to help her husband board the ambulance but in vain. He collapsed in front of the ambulance but the hospital staff members and the ambulance driver had allegedly refused to lend a helping hand to the victim, fearing that he was a Covid patient. The patient eventually died. The victim's wife, Alpana, alleged that her husband remained unattended for over half-an-hour till a doctor declared him dead.