AMRI promoters to seek review of SC's penalty for medical negligence

AMRI Unit, where fire claimed 91 lives, gets licence to operate in annexe-II

Ahead of the reopening of AMRI’s Dhakuria hospital here, the chain’s promoters, Kolkata’s Emami and Shrachi, will file a review petition against a Supreme Court judgement that had asked them to cough up Rs 11 crore in a medical negligence case.

A director of the hospital chain said on condition of anonymity, “We will file a review petition against the judgement. On reopening AMRI Dhakuria, we are happy to have got the nod but a meeting will be held in the next two days to decide the final details and date of re-opening.”

The director said the management was keen to reopen the unit in December, instead of dragging it till January, and only small details need to be worked out. The management is trying to get back the adequate number of doctors.

In the highest compensation awarded in a medical negligence case, the Supreme Court in October had asked the hospital chain in the city and three doctors to pay Rs 5.96 crore, with interest, to an Indian-origin doctor in the US who lost his 29-year-old wife during their visit to India in 1998. Including the interest, the compensation swells to around Rs 11 crore.  

Business Standard reported in October, AMRI had booked a profit of around Rs 12 crore on a turnover of Rs 187 crore in the financial year 2010, most of which came from the Dhakuria hospital. The verdict, thus, could wipe out its entire profit.

A fire tragedy at the Dhakuria hospital in December 2011 claimed 91 lives. The hospital has got approvals from the state health and fire departments to reopen in selected parts of the building. While the fire department gave the nod last week, a new order was received by AMRI management this week.  

The unit has got a licence for a year, which is renewable, to operate in annexe-II of the building; the fire had ravaged the annexe-I. The new licence enables AMRI to run the outpatient department (OPD) and diagnostic unit in parts of the two buildings. Promoters R S Agarwal and R S Goenka hope to see the annexe-I operating soon. However, getting the nod for admission of patients in annexe-II and an operational licence for annexe-I would depend on the performance of the OPD and diagnostic division, sources said.

When the fire tragedy had struck, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had publicly expressed her outrage over the incident. However, of late, Emami promoters were seen sharing the dais with West Bengal ministers at public events, signalling improvement of relations. The latest development can further cement it.