The Yogi Government suspended the licence of Amethi-based Sanjay Gandhi Memorial hospital, where a 22-year old woman died due to alleged medical negligence. The Congress however has dubbed the government’s move as ‘political vendetta’, reports Mudit Mathur
Congress Party is up in arms over the way the Yogi government suspended the licence of Amethi-based Sanjay Gandhi Memorial hospital in Amethi where a 22-year old woman died due to alleged negligence in her treatment. Uttar Pradesh Congress has alleged that the state government’s action is the result of a ‘political vendetta’ even as he announced to launch agitation against the move.
In 1982, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had laid down the foundation of a 100-bed hospital in the memory of her son, Sanjay Gandhi, who was killed in a plane crash. The hospital has been operational in Munshiganj area of Amethi since 1989. The trust is being looked after under the chairmanship of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The Amethi police registered a case under section 304-A of IPC against the Chief Executive Officer Avadhesh Sharma and three other doctors for causing death by negligence filed by one Anuj Shukla who alleged that his 22-year old wife, Divya Shukla was hospitalised complaining pain and it was found in ultrasound test that there were stones in her gallbladder.
It is further alleged that she was taken to the operation theatre in a normal condition on 14 September, but due to overdose of anaesthesia, her condition deteriorated. The complainant alleged that the CEO of the hospital delayed her shifting to higher speciality centre in Lucknow for hours and in the end a team took the patient to Medanta, Lucknow, and returned immediately before her treatment could even commence there. It shows negligence on the part of doctors and management, it was alleged.
Taking cognizance of the incident, district health officials also ordered a probe and constituted a three-member inquiry team, led by Additional Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ram Prasad, and comprising Deputy CMO Dr P.K. Upadhyay and Anaesthetist Dr Abhay Goyal of District Hospital. Within 24 hours, on September 18, the hospital’s licence was suspended by district health officials, citing prima facie evidence of medical negligence.
A day before, Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister who also holds the Health Minister’s portfolio, tweeted, “Taking immediate cognizance of the case of death of a female patient due to doctor’s negligence in Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, Munshiganj, Amethi, I have instructed CMO Amethi to immediately conduct a preliminary inquiry into the matter through a three-member committee.”
