8 doctors held guilty of negligence: Medical Council slaps 100 CME credit hours penalty for license renewal

Dehradun: Holding eight doctors working at a private hospital based in Dehradun guilty of medical negligence, the Uttarakhand Medical Council(UKMC) has directed them to undergo 100 credit hours of "continued medical education" before applying for renewal of their licence.

The doctors had been found guilty while operating on an 86-years-old patient, who died after the surgery as he suffered from advanced lung disease (ALD).

Apart from issuing warning to the doctors under section 21 (2) (a) of the Uttarakhand Medical Council Act, 2002, the Council also held the chief operating officer (COO) and managing director (MD) of the private hospital vicariously responsible, adds TOI.

Such an action has been taken by the State Council after a resident of Dehradun filed a complaint alleging medical negligence against the doctors. The complainant Vikas Mehta alleged the doctors as negligent and claimed that his elderly father who had been operated in the private hospital for a back problem, had died "due to medical negligence by doctors of the hospital."

The history of the case goes back to September 13, 2019 when the elderly patient had been admitted at Max Hospital for the concerned surgery. However, his condition deteriorated after the operation and later it was revealed that the team of doctors who operated on him did not know that the patient had suffered from advanced lung disease (ALD).

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As per the latest media report by the Times of India, while filing the complaint against the doctors, Mr. Mehta alleged, "My father underwent back surgery on September 13, 2019, at Max hospital. Following the surgery, his oxygen level started dropping. Later, it was found that the operating team was unaware that he suffered from advanced lung disease (ALD). He passed away on September 19 following lung complications."

It was further alleged by the complainant that "precious time was lost" in the efforts to diagnose the problem despite the fact that the preoperative X-Ray report had "clearly diagnosed the issue."

Questioning why the X-Ray report had not been shared with the operating team, the complainant said, "Why was the X-ray report not shared with the operating team? In fact, the pulmonologist confirmed after seeing the report that he had ALD."

After receiving the complaint and considering the merits of the same, the State Medical Commission had issued a warning to the doctors under section 21 (2) (a) of the Uttarakhand Medical Council Act, 2002.

While the Council clarified that such negligence "should not be repeated in the future", it directed the eight doctors of the Hospital to undergo 100 credit hours of "continued medical education" before renewing their licences.

Besides, UKMC has also held the chief operating officer (COO) and managing director (MD) of Max Healthcare Hospital vicariously responsible. In this context, the Council directed, "The council cannot pass an order against both of them, so the litigant is free to seek justice in a competent court."

Meanwhile, the Complainant Mr. Mehta is planning to approach the Court for further action and in this regard, he told the daily, "I am planning to file a case in court as suggested by the medical council."

While commenting on the Council Action, Max hospital said, "We have received the order of the state medical council. We are examining the said order and will be seeking appropriate remedy under relevant laws."

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