The family of a 52-year-old woman, who visited Max hospital, Gurugram, for the treatment of her heart ailment, has alleged that she died on Monday due to the hospital's negligence. The family alleged that the hospital authority allowed everyone with shoes inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward that spread infection in the victim and was the actual reason for her death.
The victim Neelam Karna a resident of Ranchi was admitted to the hospital on June 5. The victim's family filed a negligence complaint against the hospital management at Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Gurugram. The victim family tweeted the matter to the Haryana Chief Minister and Health Minister Anil Vij.
“We had taken her to the hospital for the heart-related problem. The doctor found that there was an issue with the heart and need an immediate operation. Then, they performed an operation on June 9 and informed us that a valve had been put in,” said Pintu Verma, a relative of the deceased.
The family alleged due to negligence during the operation, she was re-operated on June 10 when the victim complained of serve pain. They informed the doctors, who said the stitches were hard that is why they again performed an operation on the same day.
“On June 12 the doctors informed us that the infection had spread to her heart but again on June 18, they said that the infection had spread to her kidney. In the meantime, we noticed that she was admitted to the ICU and everyone was allowed to enter with dirty shoes on. Even the housekeeping staffs were also allowed in the same manner,” Verma said.
“The victim was on the ventilator for around 17 days and suddenly she collapsed on June 26 at around 1.30 am,” he added.
The family further alleged in the complaint that the infection spread due to negligence and poor management of the hospital because everyone was allowed inside the ICU.
later the victim's family protested against the hospital. They said, “The hospital in his written statement accepted that “As per our routine practice, temporary visitors are allowed in normal attire in Intensive care area”.
Meanwhile, it was after Neelam was declared dead and the family went to the accounts department that a bill of Rs 16.5 lakh was charged by the hospital. “The hospital management told us Rs 4 lakh would be charged during the admission,” the family said.
“later we had paid them Rs 12 lakh and they were asking for the remaining 4.5 lakh. It was only after the intervention of the police they got relief from paying the remaining amount,” said Verma.
“The postmortem examination has been conducted. Further action would be taken once we get the autopsy report and expert opinion. The matter is under investigation,” police spokesperson Subhash Boken said.
However, according to a statement issued by Max Hospital, it said that the 52-year-old female patient succumbed to multiple organ failure on 26 June 2018 despite all possible care and efforts made by a multidisciplinary team of senior clinicians.
It further reads that the patient had previously undergone an open heart surgery at a reputed government hospital in 1996. “She had come with a condition of severe breathlessness on June 5th. Investigations revealed that she also had chronic liver disease as a consequence of a long standing condition of heart failure,” it said.
The patient underwent a high risk cardiac surgery on June 9 after multiple tests and detailed counselling on the high risk factors and due consent. The family was briefed on her criticality on a daily basis, it said.