The hospital, in a letter to AMC on June 10, stated to have 125 functional beds of which the AMC was supposed to get 62 beds for treatment of Covid-19 patients. (Representational)
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) issued a show-cause notice to 32 board of management members and trustees of Rajasthan Hospital, Shahibaug, for delay in admitting a Covid-19 patient, resulting in his death, along with lapses in offering the requisitioned number of beds to AMC-referred patients.
Despite signing a MoU with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on May 22, the hospital has failed to reserve 50 per cent beds for patients referred by the AMC, the notice said. Rajasthan Hospital is one of the private and corporate-run hospitals among the list of 42 hospitals requisitioned by the AMC on May 16.
The hospital, in a letter to AMC on June 10, stated to have 125 functional beds of which the AMC was supposed to get 62 beds for treatment of Covid-19 patients.
On June 18, “there was a serious lapse in duty on part of the hospital which resulted in the death of Covid-19 patient, Harish Bhai Kadiya (73)”, the show-cause notice issued by AMC Medical Officer of Health Dr Bhavin Solanki said.
“The deceased was shifted from Lifecare Hospital of central zone to Rajasthan Hospital because he was in need of ventilator support. Deputy health officer confirmed availability of ventilator at Rajasthan Hospital in advance but when the patient reached the hospital, the authorities did not open the gate for approximately 20 minutes. After a huge tussle, when the gate was opened, the staff of your hospital took another 10 to 15 minutes to bring a stretcher. This is not only written in incident report given by zonal deputy commissioner but also evident from CCTV footage. It is evident and prima facie clear from the letter / report of Dr Manish Kumar, OSD AMC, sent on June 19 to the AMC Commissioner,” the letter further stated.
“In spite of several visits by zonal deputy commissioner, zonal deputy health officer, zonal assistant professor and other AMC officials, your hospital was not at all responding responsibly, which it is supposed to do particularly in the grave situation,” it added.
“Your hospital only provided total 23 beds till date and that too after several visits and bargaining by AMC officials. At the same time, during visits by AMC officials they were given different counts of beds and ventilators by your deputy medical superintendent Mr Parmar,” the notice stated.
The notice sought reply within a day stating why AMC should not file a criminal complaint against the hospital under Section 188 and other relevant provisions of IPC and initiate any other actions in view of the breach of provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, Regulations 2020, MoU, Requisition order of municipal commissioner on May 16 and any other relevant provisions of the law.
Further, the notice also sought legal proceedings against the hospital for committing breach, wilful defiance and contempt of the order of May 22 and May 29 passed by the Gujarat High Court in writ petition number 42 of 2020 and other allied matters. It also sought to penalise and cancel the registration of the hospital.