Maharashtra: Human Rights Commission fines govt for medical negligence

While the incident goes back to the year 2008, the state human rights commission has now asked the Maharashtra government to initiate disciplinary action against three doctors for being negligent. One of the practitioners has left the country reports Mumbai Mirror.

Haresh and Preeti Patil had filed a complaint with the police stating that Preeti went into labour on April 30, 2008, and was admitted to the Thane Civil Hospital where she would undergo a Caesarean section as advised by Dr Nandpurkar. The complainants alleged that the patient needed immediate medical attention but instead was left unattended for the next four hours as the doctor allegedly went off to attend to patients at her private clinic.

“In the meantime, the baby got stuck during labour and choked to death. Nandapurkar rushed back to the hospital but it was too late. My wife is fortunate to have survived the ordeal,” Haresh Patil said in his complaint.

With the assistance of NGO called Madat,  the couple filed a case in the matter before the state human rights commission. “The case dragged on as there was nobody to head the commission for some time. The hearing restarted only two years ago,” said Shashi Agarwal from the NGO.

The commission has also made several recommendations, such as training staff at government and civic-run hospitals to handle such emergencies and filling up vacant posts.