Protest against deaths in three pvt hospitals

Kolkata: Allegations of medical negligence leading to deaths of patients rocked three reputed private hospitals on Wednesday. Among the deceased was a toddler — Oyetri Dey — from Sonarpur who was admitted at Mukundapur unit of AMRI Hospital on January 15 with acute respiratory distress with croup and stridor and high fever.

The two-year-and-five-month-old girl’s parents claimed that their daughter, who had recovered in last two days, was administrered two wrong injections that led to her death on Wednesday morning.

The hospital authorities, however, stated that Oyetri suffered a sudden convulsion with fever in the morning following which she was shifted to PICU where she showed no sign of recovery despite all medical efforts.

AMRI said, “Under the given medical condition with which the patient got admitted, all kinds of proper treatment had been undertaken and no medical negligence took place on the part of the hospital.”

It added, “Based on the allegation of negligence, the hospital management strongly demanded an autopsy of the deceased to examine the exact cause of death or any latent congenital defect which was not mentioned by the patient party at the time of admission.”

The patient’s family members had a heated altercation with the hospital officials. They accused the hospital’s unit head Joyshree Chatterjee of threatening them. “Do not indulge into hooliganism. There is no bigger goon than me,” Ms Chatterjee was shown in the media as telling them angrily.

Her comments added fuel to the fire. AMRI Hospitals CEO Rupak Barua faced protests when he tried to pacify the patient’s relatives. Complaining of being mobbed and pushed by the angry group Ms Chatterjee tendered her apology to the infant’s parents.

Meanwhile family of Alok Pal (54) of Kasba accused Apollo Gleneagles Hospital of negligence leading to his death. The employee of Rajabazar Science College was brought to the hospital at around 7 am with respiratory distress.

His relatives alleged that he was left lying in the ambulance for one-and-half-an-hours without any treatment due to unavailability of beds. They also lodged a complaint at the Phoolbagan police station against the hospital authorities.

At Woodlands Hospital, family of Goutam Pal, who received injuries in hands and legs in a road accident on Maa Flyover on January 15, protested complaining of negligence in his death on Tuesday night.