Probe team finds negligence in patient's treatment at Apollo

A six-member team set up to probe the alleged medical negligence in treatment of a patient at the local Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, has found "overall negligence" and multiple other anomalies, a senior West Bengal government official said on Friday.

State Health Secretary R.S. Shukla said the report submitted by the probe team also expressed doubts about the authenticity of a CD submitted by the private hospital with regard to a procedure performed on the patient Sanjoy Roy to stop bleeding.

"Instances of overall negligence in the case have been identified. There are multiple other issues like improper billing, multiple charges and evidence of not following proper medical procedure during treatment," Shukla said.

"The law will take its course if the charges are proved. If criminal intent is found, cases would be lodged according to the liability after proper police investigation," he added.

He said the CD would be examined further to find out whether the procedure was really done.

"The six member team has a doubt about the authenticity of the CD showing Angioembolization treatment. So further examination would be done on the CD to check if the treatment was really done or not," the Health Secretary said.

Angioembolization is a procedure performed on patients to stop bleeding.

Roy, a resident of Dankuni in Hooghly district, was critically injured in a road accident. He died on February 23 at the state-run SSKM Hospital where he was shifted from Apollo.

Roy's relatives and friends accused Apollo of "inadequate treatment" even while raising a huge bill and refusing to allow him to be shifted to SSKM unless they paid up the full amount. They alleged that the hospital delayed his discharge and relented only after they submitted fixed deposit certificates.

The probe team was constituted by the state health department to probe the alleged "medical negligence" in the treatment of 30-year-old Roy at the private hospital.

As many as five officials, including four doctors of the hospital, were summoned on Friday for further questioning.

Any hospital official was not immediately available for comments.

--IANS

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