Kolkata: After the police, now the state health department has launched a probe into the death of Sanjoy Roy due to alleged medical negligence by Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, as it has set up a six-member inquiry committee on a day Rubi Roy, the widow of the deceased, accused the private hospital of trying to commit a fraud while they were returning her the financial documents, which they had kept as security.
Ms Roy also rejected the refund of money assured to her by Apollo and paid the due amount on Monday to the private hospital authorities. The probe panel, which has five heads of the departments of different specialities at various government-run medical colleges in the city, will submit its report to health secretary R.S. Shukla who will table the findings to chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the next few days.
It will investigate the medical negligence which includes the delay in shifting Roy from the private hospital to SSKM Hospital and the exorbitant medical bill. The inquiry committee will also examine the medical documents about Roy’s treatment. The probe team will be led by Partha Pratim Mukherjee, HoD (general medicine) at Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.
Among others are Shampa Dutta, HoD (cardiac anaesthesia) at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital; Ashok Bhadra, HoD (radiology) at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH); Gautam Ghosh, HoD (surgery) at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital and Jayanta Dasgupta, HoD (gastroenterology) at CMCH. Subir Chatterjee, special secretary of the health department, has also been kept in the panel.
During the day, Ms Roy, along with her minor son and family members, visited Apollo to pay the due amount of the bill to get back the land deed, fixed deposit and some jewellery which were kept as deposit with the hospital authorities. A police team accompanied her to the hospital. “Even this time they tried to make me sign a document for forgery. My brother pointed out to me. I stopped from signing the papers,” she said.
Ms Roy also lashed out at Apollo authorities alleging that they took ambulance fees which they claimed earlier was not taken. On the rejection of refund by Apollo she asked, “Where was their sympathy when my husband needed it the most? I do not need the money back when my husband is not alive.” Ms Roy later recorded her statement at the Phoolbagan police station in connection with her complaint lodged on Sunday.
Apollo COO Dr Joy Basu said, “We stand by our commitment to refund the entire cost of treatment of Roy. However, out of respect, for the wishes and sentiments of his family we have accepted the balance and returned all the documents that were deposited with us.”
Launching its probe, the police is planning to summon senior officials of Apollo for questioning and seek the medical documents about the treatment of the deceased.
