Medical body rules out negligence in trauma centre deaths

The Delhi Medical Council on Wednesday said that administrative lapses and not medical negligence led to the death of five patients at the Sushruta Trauma Centre here in 2012.

A council report concluded that no medial negligence could be attributed to the Trauma Centre in the management of critically ill patients who were put on ventilators that suffered temporary disruptions of oxygen supply.

Untrained persons -- said to be technicians -- were employed by the company concerned to ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen at the centre's Intensive Care Unit, the body said.

The council said that on the fateful December 3-4 night in 2012, only one employee was posted in the manifold room in night shift instead of recommended two trained technical personnel, as per the agreement.

"The annual maintenance contract was also not maintained. Disruption of oxygen supply was a lapse on part of the company concerned, which was made responsible for continuous supply.

"Two doctors along with nursing staff summoned other doctors/nurses from the operation theatre and elsewhere and managed/resuscitated all patients and performed their duties with proper care and skill," said a council report.

The report said all five patients were put on ventilators and were critically ill, suffering from neurological problems.

The case was handed over to the Medical Council in 2013 for probing whether the deaths were caused by medical negligence or not.

--IANS

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