CHANDIGARH: The Haryana health department on Wednesday indicted Fortis Medical Research Institute, Gurgaon, and recommended registration of an FIR against the hospital management for medical negligence causing the death of seven-yearold Adya.
The girl had died after a bout of dengue in September. A major controversy erupted after the girl's family said they were charged Rs 16 lakh for the treatment.
Haryana health minister Anil Vij said a committee headed by additional director general of health services Rajiv Wadhera has also written to the Indian Medical Association seeking stringent action against the hospital.
Hospital forged sign on consent form, allege kin
Parents of the girl, while appearing before the committee, had also alleged that the hospital forged their signatures on one of the two consent forms. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Vij said, "In simple language, this is as good as a murder." He said that at the time of discharging the patient, the Fortis doctors did not even follow LAMA (leave of against medical advice) protocol.
"They withdrew the entire advance life support system (ALS) and instead of an ALS ambulance, shifted the patient in an ordinary ambulance. The ambulance did not even have the ambu bag.
This was the biggest negligence which has apparently taken the life of the patient," the minister said.
In a statement, Fortis said it was yet to receive a copy of the report and remained "committed to the highest standards of medical excellence and compassionate patient care."
The Gurugram civil surgeon has also suspended the licensee of the blood bank at the hospital and served the notice on the management for the alleged violation of the Indian Epidemics Act as they had not informed the district health officials about dengue cases at the hospital, including that of Adya.
The health department had constituted the fact-finding committee after Union health minister J P Nadda had intervened in the case. Besides medical negligence, the hospital has also been accused of unlawful and unethical conduct.
According to Vij, the hospital also violated IMA guidelines which bar costly treatment. "The hospital administered expensive medication to the patient despite having adequate stocks of generic medicines. This is a violation of IMA guidelines," said Vij.
The girl had died after a bout of dengue in September. A major controversy erupted after the girl's family said they were charged Rs 16 lakh for the treatment.
Haryana health minister Anil Vij said a committee headed by additional director general of health services Rajiv Wadhera has also written to the Indian Medical Association seeking stringent action against the hospital.
Hospital forged sign on consent form, allege kin
Parents of the girl, while appearing before the committee, had also alleged that the hospital forged their signatures on one of the two consent forms. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Vij said, "In simple language, this is as good as a murder." He said that at the time of discharging the patient, the Fortis doctors did not even follow LAMA (leave of against medical advice) protocol.
"They withdrew the entire advance life support system (ALS) and instead of an ALS ambulance, shifted the patient in an ordinary ambulance. The ambulance did not even have the ambu bag.
This was the biggest negligence which has apparently taken the life of the patient," the minister said.
In a statement, Fortis said it was yet to receive a copy of the report and remained "committed to the highest standards of medical excellence and compassionate patient care."
The Gurugram civil surgeon has also suspended the licensee of the blood bank at the hospital and served the notice on the management for the alleged violation of the Indian Epidemics Act as they had not informed the district health officials about dengue cases at the hospital, including that of Adya.
The health department had constituted the fact-finding committee after Union health minister J P Nadda had intervened in the case. Besides medical negligence, the hospital has also been accused of unlawful and unethical conduct.
According to Vij, the hospital also violated IMA guidelines which bar costly treatment. "The hospital administered expensive medication to the patient despite having adequate stocks of generic medicines. This is a violation of IMA guidelines," said Vij.
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