The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the state government after taking suo motu cognizance of a media report about a patient’s amputated leg being placed as a pillow to him at Maharani laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi. As per a NHRC communiqué released on Monday evening, the Chief Secretary has been given four weeks to submit a detailed report in the matter. Besides, Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been also asked to submit a report whether any instructions/guidelines on the subject has been issued to doctors/hospitals along with the status of mechanism to monitor their implementation across the country.
While issuing the notices, the Commission observed that the incident demanded not only fair peobe and action against guilty public servants but also issuance of necessary directions /guidelines to all hospitals regarding strict compliance of standard norms for disposal of bio-medical waste and amputated organs so that such incidents did not recur.
It was further observed that media reports, if true, amounted to unethical and negligent act done by doctors/nurses which was not only in violation of medical norms but also amounted to violation of right to dignity of patient who already underwent trauma, due to amputation of his leg.
The Commission pointed out that it was hard to understand as to how a reasonable person could do such an unfair act. As per Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2016, notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, (Government of India) on March 28, 2016, amputated leg of the patient should have been disposed off in the ‘Yellow Box’ meant for amputated human organs. Even if, there was any medico legal aspect in the case, it should have been immediately kept in the laboratory. The amputated leg, once detached from the body, could also be a reason for infection to the patient and others who were present in the hospital ward. As per media reports carried on March 12, 2018, the victim said that the hospital staff put his amputated leg as a pillow to rest his head. Principal of Maharani laxmi Bai Medical College, Jhansi assured strict action against the guilty and stated that a committee has been set up to find out as to who put the severed leg under the patient’s head. Two doctors and two nurses have been placed under suspension and departmental action has been ordered against one doctor.