HC orders probe into negligence charge against Safdarjung

New Delhi: The alleged medical negligence by Safdarjung Hospital in wrongly declaring a newborn as dead in June this year has led the Delhi High Court to direct the Centre to order a probe into the incident. The infant was brought back to the hospital and put on a ventilator, but died after 36 hours, the court noted in its order.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru also found “disturbing” the manner in which the infant was handed over to the parents. It directed the Ministry of Health, represented by central government standing counsel Monika Arora and advocate Kushal Sharma, to set up a three-member committee to enquire into the incident.

The panel shall comprise the Health Secretary or his nominee who is not below the rank of Joint Secretary, the Additional Director General Health Sevices and the Medical Superintendent of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, the court said. It said that the committee shall submit a report within eight weeks.

The court also said that the committee would be at liberty to call any staff or doctors of the hospital for the purposes of the enquiry and they will have to fully cooperate with the panel. Apart from that the court also directed Safdarjung Hospital’s Medical Superintendent to hand over all the documents related to the infant to the parents and to retain a copy for the perusal of the committee. It also said that the parents can make a complaint to the Delhi Medical Council against the alleged medical negligence by the hospital. With these directions, the court listed the matter for further hearing on January 3, 2018.