'Need mass movement to counter medical negligence'

With nearly 5.2 million medical injuries recorded each year in India, an Assam professor, who recently lost his wife due to "utter callousness" of doctors has begun spreading awareness about medical negligence which he claims has acquired "endemic proportions" in the country.

Ankuran Dutta, who lost wife Anamika Ray due to "procedural lapses" by doctors, has been campaigning on social media networks urging the need for a mass movement to counter medical negligence.

"Annually 5.2 million medical injuries are recorded in India leading to a loss of around 3 million years of healthy lives due to medical negligence each year," Dutta said quoting a Harvard School of Public Health report.

"While there are laws to deal medical negligence, the guilty, most of the time, don't get to face any action because most of the people are not aware. Unless people are ready to fight and there is a mass movement, medical negligence will continue to acquire endemic proportions," said Dutta here.

He asserted that his fight is not merely concerned to his wife or aimed at monetary compensations but rather spreading awareness across the country.

Besides holding public meeting across the country, Dutta also plans to organise candle light marches to highlight the gravity of medical negligence.

While Delhi-based Golden Jaipur Hospital has attributed blood infection and cardiac arrest for his's wife death there in July, Dutta asserts medical reports confirm his wife's heart was in perfect condition.

While the Delhi government has launched an inquiry into Ray's death, Dutta has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urging to ask her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejrwal to expedite the probe.

"Her medical reports a day before her death showed her heart was perfectly working and she had no infection. The cause of death can be ascertained only if there is a proper enquiry. That is why we have urged Banerjee to see that the probe can be expedited," said the Gauhati-based Dutta.