Kin allege delay in treatment after 2-year-old dies at Patiala Hospital
Medical Negligence?
Patiala: Following the death of a two-year-old girl suffering from diarrhoea at Mata Kaushalya Hospital in Patiala, the Punjab Health Department has launched an investigation into allegations of medical negligence against a female doctor.
The inquiry was prompted in response to the allegations made by the family of the deceased, who alleged that the doctor delayed providing necessary treatment while allegedly consuming tea and biscuits with other hospital staff. “I pleaded with the doctor to start treatment, but she told me to wait. I cried and begged, but by the time she came, the child had died,” she had alleged, reports The Tribune.
The matter came under public scrutiny during Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh’s visit to Allipur Arian on Sunday, a locality affected by a diarrhoea outbreak that has reportedly left at least 70 residents ill and claimed two lives.
While local health authorities had previously dismissed the fatalities as unrelated to the outbreak, according to the Daily, a resident confronted the minister during his visit, stating that her niece might have survived had she received prompt medical care. She has also lost her 70-year-old mother to the same disease linked to the same outbreak on June 28, with her niece passing away just days later on July 1.
Taking note of the serious allegations, the Health Minister instructed officials to conduct a thorough probe and examine CCTV footage from the hospital on the day of the incident. A formal report has been requested to ascertain the sequence of events and determine any lapses.
Civil Surgeon Dr. Jagpalinder Singh confirmed that a departmental inquiry has been initiated against the doctor concerned. However, he added that there was no conclusive evidence yet linking the child's death directly to any negligence.
