KEM staffers make paper plates out of patient reports; notice issued

The administration of King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, a civic-run facility, has issued show-cause notices to six staff members following the circulation of a video showing paper plates made from folders of patients' reports.

The video clip has prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to form a committee to investigate the incident, an official said on Saturday.

Former mayor Kishori Pednekar highlighted the issue on the social media platform 'X', sharing a video of the paper plates that appeared to bear the names of the hospital, patients, and medical procedures. She alleged "gross negligence" by the hospital administration.

In response, KEM Dean Dr. Sangeeta Ravat clarified that the plates were not made from patient reports.

"They are not patient reports. They are old folders of CT scans given to scrap dealers for repurposing. The only mistake was that these scrap papers were not shredded before being given away," Dr Ravat told PTI.

She said show-cause notices have been sent to six staffers.

The BMC has established a one-member committee led by the Deputy Commissioner (Public Health) to probe the incident. The civic administration has also sought an explanation from the hospital dean.

According to a BMC statement, patients typically receive their CT scan, MRI, and X-ray reports in paper folders. These old folders are subsequently given to scrap vendors. However, the concerned folders had not been shredded before being repurposed into paper plates.

The civic body indicated that the work assigned to the scrap vendor was not completed properly.

The BMC has issued memos to those responsible for overseeing the process.