Panel says Fortis hospital negligent in child’s dengue death: Haryana Minister

Chandigarh, Dec 6 (IANS) A committee set up by the Haryana government to investigate the death of a seven-year-old child in a Gurugram hospital has found it guilty on various counts and a case would be registered against it, a Minister said on Wednesday.

The high-level probe panel had found Fortis Hospital in Gurugram guilty of "grave negligence, lapse, unethical and unlawful acts in the death of Adya Singh in September", Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij told the media here.

He said the government will get a case registered against the leading private hospital, adding that legal opinion was being sought on how it could be done.

"A notice has been issued for the cancellation of the licence of the hospital's blood bank. The Haryana Urban Development Authority will also be requested to explore the possibility of cancellation of the lease of land given to the hospital," Vij said.

"The action has been taken in view of the committee report which found irregularities in the hospital functioning. The girl's parents have also recorded their statements before the committee," Vij said.

The Health Department had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Additional Director General Dr Rajiv Wadhera.

The case made national headlines in November after revelations that Fortis issued a bill of nearly Rs 16 lakh to the bereaved family even though she had died due to dengue-related complications.

Vij said the report said the minor girl was admitted in the paediatrics intensive care unit of Fortis Hospital from August 31 to September 14.

"During this period, the hospital not only violated diagnosis protocol, but also ignored rules and regulations of the Indian Medical Association. In this direction, a letter has been written to the Medical Council of India for taking appropriate action. He said hospital administration deliberately used expensive medicines rather than generic and affordable ones to treat the girl in violation of IMA norms."

Vij said the rules provided for informing the local Civil Hospital about any dengue patient, which Fortis Hospital did not do.

"The Gurugram Civil Surgeon has issued a notice to Fortis Hospital. Its doctors also carried out transfusion of platelets 25 times and there was overcharging on this count. So, orders have been issued to cancel the hospital's blood bank licence," the Minister said.

"Serious irregularities vis-a-vis the shifting of the child to some other hospital have also come to the fore. As per IMA guidelines, advance life support ambulance should have been provided but hospital only provided her with a basic life support ambulance that lacked oxygen and other basic facilities. The parents told the probe committee that hospital authorities forged their signatures on the consent letter," Vij added.

The Minister said the government will write to the Medical Council of India to act against the erring doctors.

Vij said costly medicines were used when cheaper substitutes were available in the Fortis pharmacy, adding that the hospital overcharged on every count of treatment.

He said the hospital made hefty profits on the medicines given, which worked out between 108 per cent and as high as 1,737 per cent in certain cases.