Mumbai: The Agripada police has arrested Dr Siddhant Shah (27), who was on duty and in charge of the radiology department at civic-run Nair Hospital, when a patient’s kin Rajesh Maru (32), died after getting sucked into a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine on January 27. Meanwhile, the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA) has alleged that the medico was arrested without any proof. The IRIA has lent its support to Dr Shah. Dr Shah was arrested under section 304-A (negligence causing death) of the IPC.
In the coming days, radiologists’ organisations across the country will meet the BMC chief and Nair Hospital dean; they are also in the process of writing a letter to the commissioner regarding this case. The Agripada police said that Dr Shah was arrested after Mr Maru’s family said that the radiologist was also present inside the MRI console when the accident occurred.
DCP of zone III, Virendra Mishra, while confirming the fourth arrest in the case, said, “The investigation is underway.” When asked about why the police arrested Dr Shah, the DCP said, “Without any involvement, why would the police arrest anyone? He was present in the MRI console when the incident took place. The court will decide whether the doctor is an accused or a culprit.”
Mr Maru was pulled into the MRI machine by its magnetic force after he entered the room carrying an oxygen cylinder, inhaled the gas that leaked out of the container, and died in the hospital itself. Earlier, the Agripada police arrested three hospital staffers including Dr Saurabh Lanjekar, ward boy Vitthal Chavan, and attendant Sunita Surve on charges of negligence causing death.
Dr Jignesh Thakker, senior faculty of IRIA, told The Asian Age, “For every case where there is no fault of the doctor, you can’t arrest the doctor without any proof. The patient’s kin lost his life due to the hospital administration’s negligence. But, unnecessarily, Dr Shah was dragged into it. He was just called for an inquiry and was arrested without any proof.”
Dr Thakker also mentioned that they would be writing to the commissionerate of police in connection with the case and that all radiologists of the country would gather to seek assistance for this from the BMC commissioner and the hospital dean.
