WB medical council exonerates surgeon from negligence charges in appendicitis death case
West Bengal Medical Council
Kolkata: Around two-and-a-half months after issuing a show-cause and prima facie finding a surgeon guilty of medical negligence, the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) has now exonerated him from the charges.
The Medical Council took this decision after summoning the concerned surgeon and considering the response submitted by him against the charges, TOI has reported.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that WBMC had recently found a city-based surgeon prima facie guilty of medical negligence in connection with the death of a 42-year-old patient. As a disciplinary action, the council had directed the surgeon to submit his reply to the charges within three weeks of receiving the official notice.
The case dates back to February 2, 2024, when the concerned patient was admitted to a Clinic with acute abdominal pain. Medical tests reportedly confirmed appendicitis. However, the patient’s family has alleged that the surgery was delayed by two days despite his condition.
It was alleged by the family that even though the doctor had claimed that the surgery was minor, it took two and a half hours. Following the operation, the patient's condition worsened, and he was shifted to the ICU later that night and put on ventilator support. His wife was informed that he had lost nearly two litres of blood, after which a second surgery was performed.
With no improvement in his health, the family decided to shift him to a hospital in Hyderabad for further treatment. The doctors there said that one of his intestines got punctured during the surgery in Kolkata. Despite treatment, the patient later succumbed to his condition in Hyderabad.
Initially, WBMC had framed charges against the doctor on April 3. As per the latest media report by the Times of India, following this, the complainant and the treating surgeon were summoned to depose before the council on May 7.
During the hearing, the surgeon replied to all the charges framed against him. Consequently, the medical council on May 20 decided that the charges brought against the surgeon were not substantiated and he was not found guilty of professional misconduct.
