14 March 2011
By V Narayan
Mumbai, India
4 Doctors Booked
A police case has been registered against the emergency medical service department of Sion Hospital for allegedly neglecting a victim of a railway accident and endangering the life and personal safety of others.
The incident occurred on March 12 when Samir Zaveri, who ran an NGO, learnt that the Government Railway Police (GRP) had taken a train accident victim, Deepak Sawant, to Sion Hospital with grievous injuries around 8 pm. As Sawant was unconscious, the police could not ascertain his identity or contact any of his relatives.
However, though he needed immediate medical attention, Sawant was left unattended on a stretcher for more than four hours, he said. Immediately after learning about the accident, Zaveri rushed to the hospital around 11.30 pm and requested the doctors to examine Sawant, the Sion police said. "They told Zaveri that whatever was being done was according to the procedure and he could do nothing about it," an official said.
When Zaveri said the procedure should be changed, the doctors reportedly said they did not care about Sawant. "They said every day, people complain and argue but nothing changes. When the doctor said that even I would be forced to leave before changing anything, I started yelling at them," Zaveri stated in the complaint.
Before lodging a complaint, Zaveri procured the stationmaster’s memo copy issued to the GRP before the victim was admitted to Sion Hospital. That paper had the stamp showing that the victim had been taken to the hospital at 8 pm.
"The doctor concerned, without examining the victim, gave him a tetanus shot and directed the GRP to get an X-ray and a CT scan done. It was the GRP personnel who did the needful," Zaveri stated in the complaint. When the GRP official asked for help, the doctors allegedly ignored them. "Further, while handling the victim, the GRP men were not even given gloves," he mentioned in the complaint.
Sion police inspector Vinod Randive said after Zaveri called the police control room, a team arrived at the hospital around 11.55 pm. "We have booked four doctors. Action will be taken after a panel submits an inquiry report," he said.
Acting dean of the Sion Hospital Dr R Merchant said he learnt about the incident on Sunday and instituted two inquiries against the doctors on duty on Saturday. "We have not received the police complaint letter. The dean, who will come to work on Monday, will be told about the incident," Dr Merchant told TOI.
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