6 May 2009
By Dipti Barve
Pune, India
Admitted for child birth by C–section, 31–year–old woman slips into comma due to alleged medical negligence. Her husband has filed an FIR against doctors and staffers at Jeevandep Medicare in Pashan
Rupali Kukade (left) Patient who Slipped into Comma and Husband Prashant Kukade who filed Case of Medical Negligence In his complaint, Prashant has named gynaecologist Deeplakshmi Ragade, anestheticiast R P Daga and another doctor Tushar Kotbagi. The police has filed a case of causing grievous hurt due to the negligence under Indian Penal Code section 338. None of the doctors named by Prashant in his complaint were available for comment.
Kukade had reported the matter to the police on September 23, 2008 following which Chatushrungi police formed a team of five doctors to assist them probe the case. The team of doctors concluded that the patient had slipped into comma because of the negligence of the doctors at Jeevandeep Hospital. After this a decision to file a case was taken.
The police is, however, reluctant to speak on further course of action. “We will be taking the action on basis of the medical investigation report,” was what sub inspector U S Patil, investigating the case, had to say.
“The episode has turned my life upside down. My family is very disturbed ever since my wife Rupali slipped into comma nine months ago. Medical negligence has taken toll of my family life and the health of my wife” says Prashant.
Prashant alleged in his FIR that Rupali was admitted to Jeevandeep Hospital in Pashan on August 8, 2008 for delivery. Ragade decided to perform caesarean. He alleged Daga administered spinal anaesthesia to Rupali and she delivered a baby boy around 2 pm. But while the doctors were stitching up the cut, Rupali regained consciousness and began screaming. He alleged Daga then administered her a general anaesthesia.
Prashant claimed that more doctors rushed inside the operation theatre around 3.30 pm but did not give any explanation to him or other relatives. He said when Rupali was brought out of the operation theatre around 4 pm, his relatives noticed that her breathing was erratic and alerted the nurses who checked the blood pressure and summoned doctors, who, in turn, started treating her. However, he claimed, half an hour later, the relatives were told that Rupali had slipped into comma and needed to be shifted to another hospital.
Prashant stated in his FIR that Rupali was then shifted to Ratna Memorial Hospital where the doctors treating her informed that a neurological problem might have occurred due to lack of oxygen or over dosage of anaesthesia.
Discharged by Force at Wee Hours
Anusuya YenapureWhile Ravikiran , head of operations, Sahyadri hospital told Pune Mirror, “Dr Agashe who was treating the patient, had informed about discharging the patient to her relatives at 10.30 am on May 4. After administering the evening dose of medicine we began with the process of discharge. We even told patient’s relatives to take her home once the discharge process was complete.”
Anusuya’s son Nilesh told Mirror “My mother was admitted in Sahyadri Hospital on April 29 for knee injury. On the evening of May 4 one of the staff members called my sister Tara Bodke and handed over the hospital bill and remaining amount. I have a health insurance policy, so there was no problem related to the payment of the bill. As my sister is illiterate she did not understand that procedure. At 8 pm we were told by the hospital about the discharge of the patient. Then we spoke with Dr Abhijit Agashe who was treating my mother. After the discussion, he told us that the patient will be discharged on Wednesday. But after 12 pm the whole picture changed again and hospital staff forcefully brought my mother in in the waiting lobby and told my relatives to take the patient home as all the formalities of discharge had been completed. My mother was discharged at 1.25 am and the hospital authorities did not even bother to inform my relatives in advance. They inhumanely discharged the patient late in the night when there were no transport facilities available in the back drop of autorikshaw strike.
He also added that the hospital staff not even given medicines at the time of discharge as per the rule of health insurance policy scheme.
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