Hospital found guilty of medical negligence

Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, August 2

A private hospital in Patiala has been found guilty of medical negligence by an inquiry committee constituted by the District Health Department. An ‘underqualified’ doctor who is a visiting medic at the Phull Neuro And Multispeciality Hospital had performed the surgery which had resulted in health complications to the patient. 

Parminder Singh, a resident of Patiala, had undergone Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (an inpatient invasive procedure in which the surgeon removes the kidney stone (s) through a small incision in the skin) by Dr Rohit Garg in May, last year, wherein, erroneously, an artery was cut.

The patient was discharged in a satisfactory condition on the next day after the operation. However, two days after the patient reported of hematuria — a condition of blood in urine — which was managed by the same hospital with three-way periurethral catheterisation and bladder irrigation, reads the report.

However, the patient not satisfactory with the treatment of the said hospital – visited three different hospitals after further deterioration of his health. The patient, lastly, ended up in CMC Ludhiana, wherein, he was diagnosed with Post PCNL inferior segment artery bleed with clots.

On the complaint of the injured, the inquiry committee was formed which found out that said doctor, Rohit Garg at Phull Neuro And Multispeciality Hospital, was not qualified to perform the surgery of Urology (branch of medicine and physiology concerned with the function and disorders of the urinary system). The report said that the doctor was an only general surgeon, therefore, not qualified to perform the said surgery.

In the meanwhile, the accused doctor, in his defence, claimed that he had undergone observership of two weeks from a medical college in Kerala in Urology. However, the Punjab Medical Council, a statutory body which regulates allopathy in the state, observed that the course, the doctor had undergone, was not recognised by the MCI.

Following the report, some of the medicos demanded that Punjab Medical Council should take strict action against such doctors who fake their qualifications. Moreover, some doctors claimed that number of deaths by clinical negligence – throughout the world – were more than a disease. However, this problem of health care was the most under-reported in India.

Parminder Singh, the victim, said, “Apart from the monetary loss, I had to go through mental harassment as well. I have seen worse in the two months. Moreover, as per the doctors, my left kidney has been damaged 30 per cent. We were not properly guided by the Phull Neuro Hospital.

In the meanwhile, Puneet Phull, the founder of the hospital, said, “The patient himself wanted to be operated by Dr Rohit Garg only. He has been blackmailing us since last year.”

Dr Rohit Garg, said, “The MCI, has nowhere mentioned that a general surgeon cannot perform a particular surgery. Moreover, the report is biased because the members of the committee were from Patiala only, therefore, it was very likely that they had been influenced. I demand that a re-inquiry into the whole case so that the truth can come out.”

It is pertinent to mention that the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) had already directed the State Health Department to take the necessary action as per the government rules. 

The surgery 

Parminder Singh, a resident of Patiala, had undergone Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (an inpatient invasive procedure in which the surgeon removes the kidney stone (s) through a small incision in the skin) by Dr Rohit Garg in May, last year, wherein, erroneously, an artery was cut, but two days after the patient reported of hematuria - a condition of blood in the urine.