Six doctors, including a pediatric surgeon and an anesthesiologist, have been charged by the police in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, in connection with the death of a five-year-old child in a grave case of medical negligence. On April 26 of this year, the boy—the son of a local advocate—had surgery at a renowned city hospital for phimosis with penile torsion. He tragically died on May 6th, citing “multi-organ failure due to septicaemia following hypoxic brain injury” as the cause of death.
His father accused the treating physicians of medical malpractice in a complaint he filed with the Pundalik Nagar police after the boy passed away. Following an investigation into the allegation, the matter was sent to a medical board at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for review. The board examined the boy’s medical records and the circumstances surrounding his death and discovered a number of inconsistencies. The boy’s primary cause of death was determined to be “hypoxic brain injury” that occurred during the surgery, according to the medical report. The deadly outcome could not be related to the genital disease for which the procedure was performed.
Subsequent analysis uncovered serious anomalies in the operating procedure. The pre-evaluation of the youngster prior to the administration of anesthesia was not documented in the operating room notes. CCTV evidence showed that the injections were actually given after the spinal anesthesia, despite the notes’ claim that three injections were given prior to the spinal anesthetic. This disparity sparked allegations of medical malpractice and foul play.
By falsifying medical records and altering important CCTV evidence, the boy’s father accused the doctors of trying to hide their carelessness. He adamantly called for harsh punishment for those responsible. In response, the Pundalik Nagar police filed a complaint against the six doctors under a number of Indian Penal Code sections, including Section 34 (common intention), Section 406 (criminal breach of trust), Section 201 (destroying evidence), and Section 304(A) (death by carelessness).
The police were unable to locate the accused doctors when they went to the hospital to take them into custody. The doctors’ cell phones were off, according to the hospital administration, so they had no idea where they were. In order to further the case, the authorities are currently attempting to track down the doctors and retrieve crucial evidence. Concerns regarding patient safety and accountability in medical treatments have been brought up by the case.
SOURCE :
TIMES OF INDIA
