Death of 18-year-old patient triggers probe into alleged medical negligence
Medical Negligence
Bhilai: An 18-year-old first-year B.Tech student at IIT Bhilai tragically passed away, triggering campus-wide outrage and a police investigation into alleged medical negligence at the institute’s health centre.
The student, a native of Madhya Pradesh, reportedly developed a fever on November 10, which worsened the next morning. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His family has accused both the college management and attending doctors of gross negligence.
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Additional SP Sukhnandan Rathore said a post-mortem has been conducted, an FIR registered, and further investigation is ongoing.
In response to the incident, students staged a protest on campus Tuesday night, which continued until 3 am, followed by an attempted candlelight march on Wednesday evening. However, the march was stopped by the administration at the main gate.
Students claimed that the lack of timely medical care and delays at the campus health centre contributed to the death. "If there had been a doctor and ambulance available on time, Saumil could have been saved," one student said.
The institute has announced a series of immediate corrective actions. These include requesting the Superintendent of Police to carry out a thorough investigation, suspending the institute's medical officer with immediate effect, and ensuring 24/7 availability of medical personnel and ambulance services at the campus health centre. A request for the deployment of a government doctor to the campus, submitted to the Durg Collector, has also been approved.
Furthermore, a fact-finding committee, including representatives from AIIMS, the local government medical college, and student representatives to review medical arrangements, has been formed, and the committee is expected to submit its report within 15 days.
The incident has reignited concerns about medical infrastructure at premier institutions, with students pointing out that the campus health centre has been understaffed for months.
