Gurugram Police on Friday arrested two senior doctors of Fortis Hospital for an alleged delay in administering treatment to a 51-year-old woman in 2017, who died of cardiac arrest, the Hindustan Times reported.
Chief cardiologist Dr SS Murthy and Emergency Medical Officer Dr V Naga Raju were detained on Thursday night for questioning. They were arrested on Friday under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code for causing death by negligence. A local court later granted them bail on personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each, The Times of India reported.
The incident took place on May 12. A medical board constituted to investigate the case submitted that the patient, Seema Ghai, died as the doctors did not administer anti-platelet treatment as per protocol after she complained of chest pain. It also found a laxity on part of the doctors treating her.
The police said the woman’s husband approached them in December and alleged that the doctors did not give her appropriate medication. “We referred the matter to the Gurgaon medical board,” Gurugram Police spokesperson Ravinder Kumar told The Indian Express. “The report came back in February and we filed a case. The report said the doctors were negligent.”
According to the medical board’s report, Dr Raju admitted that he did not administer anti-platelets. However, Dr Murthy said he had asked the resident cardiologist to provide all necessary medication to the patient, The Times of India reported.
“The matter is sub-judice. We are providing complete support to the authorities concerned,” Fortis Healthcare said in a statement.
In September, the family of a girl suffering from dengue, complained that Fortis Hospital had charged them more than Rs 15 lakh when the patient spend nearly 15 days on ventilator support before she died. On December 10, a case was registered against the hospital, days after a government panel found that gross negligence by the facility had caused the girl’s death. Fortis was charged with culpable homicide. The Haryana government had also asked authorities to cancel the hospital’s land lease.
During an investigation into alleged overcharging in the girl’s treatment, a three-member government panel found irregularities, unethical practices and violation of the protocol for diagnosis and medical duties.
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