Under fire for not getting an FIR registered against the Gurugram Fortis hospital and instead registering a case against the hospital’s paediatician for negligence in dealing with case of Adya Singh, who had died due to dengue, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Monday clarified that action would be taken against hospital authorities also.
A case under section 304, part 2 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code was lodged at Gurugram’s Sushant lok police station against a doctor who worked with the Paediatric Department in Fortis on Sunday. The hospital has been under scanner since it slapped a bill of around Rs 16 lakh on the girl's family for her hospitalisation of 15 days.
Health Minister Anil Vij while talking to the mediapersons here on Monday said that other criminal sections in FIR would be added on the basis of irregularities found in government’s inquiry report concerning death of the girl child due to dengue in September and bill of about Rs 16 lakh.
In this direction, FIR number 639 had already been lodged against the Fortis Hospital, Gurugram, he said.
When asked why FIR was registered against the doctor only and not against the hospital authorities, Vij said that appropriate action would be taken against the hospital management on the basis of the report. Those found guilty would not be spared at any cost, said he.
The Minister said that criminal sections would be added on the basis of irregularities found in investigation report such as overcharging for medicines, forged signature, not providing ambulance on time, overcharging for platelets transfusion, ignoring norms of Indian Medical Association and Medical Council of India, and violation of treatment protocol.
The entire inquiry report of government’s committee has been made part of the FIR. I have talked to the Police Commissioner, Gurugram and have been apprized that the accused column is yet to be filled by them and appropriate sections would added in FIR and action will be taken against the guilty, he added.
Haryana Government’s constituted committee had indicted Fortis Hospital, Gurugram for grave negligence and unethical act in handling Adya’s case. The committee had alleged several irregularities, including refusal of appropriate ambulance service to the patient, not following leave against medical advice (lAMA) protocol, and overcharging.
The government’s committee had reported that the total bill was charged at profit margin of 108 percent. It shows profit margin as low as 5 percent to as high as 1737 percent.
On the basis of the report of the investigation committee, notice has been issued to the blood bank of the hospital for which 15 days have been given to file a reply.
Apart from this, the Health Department has also directed the Haryana Urban Development Authority to check the norms and agreement pertaining to the treatment facility to the economically weaker sections.
last week, Adya's father Jayant Singh had also lodged a complaint with the Gurgaon police alleging that his daughter died because of the doctors' negligence, and the hospital tried to 'destroy evidence' of their wrongdoings.