Faridkot Medical College house surgeon suspended after patient's body found on roadside

Punjab: A house surgeon at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH), Faridkot, has been suspended after the body of an unidentified patient was allegedly removed from the hospital and left on a roadside instead of being shifted to the mortuary.

Hospital authorities have initiated an internal inquiry into the incident, while police are working to identify the deceased and trace his family.  

According to reports, the unidentified man was brought to the hospital by the police after being found injured about a week ago. He was admitted to the surgery ward but died during treatment on Monday night. Instead of following the standard protocol of shifting the body to the mortuary and informing the police, hospital staff allegedly acted on the directions of the on-duty house surgeon and left the body near the Rambagh area outside the hospital premises. 

The incident came to light after local residents noticed the body, which still had surgical dressings and bandages on it, and alerted a local social welfare organisation. Based on the surgical dressings, it was suspected that the deceased had been a patient at the medical college. Police and hospital officials subsequently reached the spot and shifted the body back to the hospital mortuary.   

The body has been preserved for identification, and efforts are underway to locate the deceased's relatives. Meanwhile, the hospital administration has initiated disciplinary proceedings against those allegedly involved.

According to The Statesman, residents who found the body alleged that established protocols were not followed, as the deceased should have been shifted directly to the mortuary and the police informed. After the matter came to light, police and hospital officials recovered the body and returned it to the hospital mortuary, where it has been kept for identification while efforts continue to trace the deceased's family. 

The hospital administration has constituted an internal inquiry committee to investigate the incident. Officials stated that the house surgeon has been suspended with immediate effect, and further legal and administrative action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry.