Doctors directed to apologise to deceased patient's kin for not responding to emergency calls

The patient's party claimed that they tried to contact both the doctors at the time of returning home in the ambulance fearing for the life of the patient. However, none of them responded.

The complainant alleged that he had admitted his wife at Medica Superspecialty Hospital in September last year. The patient had Parkinson's disease along with other comorbidities. She was discharged after being declared "hemodynamically stable" on October 6, noted retired judge Ashim Banerjee, the commission's chairperson.

"When the patient was returning home in an ambulance, he noticed that his wife had a high fever. The complainant mentioned that he feared it to be some kind of infection after which he tried to contact three hospital officials, including two doctors, but they neither took his calls nor responded to his WhatsApp messages. The patient had to be readmitted (to Medica) soon afterward," he said.

The woman was later shifted to Peerless hospital where she passed away on October 18. The husband of the patient approached the commission stating that her death was caused by an infection that she might have contracted during her stay at Medica. After considering the submission of the complainant and taking note of the statement submitted by the second hospital, the commission has asked Medica to boost up its infection control mechanism.

However, in its defense, the hospital officials stated that since it was Covid time, the officials concerned were busy and could respond much later.

" Considering that the patient was receiving treatment from the facility for almost 8 years, we find it most unlikely that the patient party would approach without any valid ground. We did not find the response of the hospital satisfactory and directed the three to tender a written apology to the family," Banerjee ordered.