PGIMS Rohtak finds no negligence in 5 patient deaths; autopsy mandatory for unexplained cases
Rohtak: In connection with the deaths of five patients reported over the past two months, a five-member inquiry panel at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) Rohtak has found no negligence. However, the panel could not determine the exact causes of death as autopsies were not conducted.
The inquiry was ordered after the deaths raised concerns over whether there was any common medical or treatment-related factor linking the cases. The panel reviewed the available medical records, treatment histories and the sequence of events surrounding each death.
According to the institute, the patients had been treated in different departments and were suffering from different medical conditions. Two had undergone dental surgeries, while the other three had undergone procedures in other departments. The records examined by the panel did not indicate any common factor connecting the deaths.
“Since autopsy was not conducted, the doctors’ panel could not reach a concrete conclusion about the exact cause of death. However, the report indicates that there was no negligence on the part of the doctors or hospital staff who were examining and treating the patients,” the institute’s director said, Hindustan Times reported.
The panel’s report also noted that the absence of post-mortem examinations limited its ability to determine the precise medical cause of death. The inquiry therefore could not establish whether any underlying condition or treatment-related complication had contributed to the deaths.
“There was no common cause revealed in the report,” the director said.
Following the inquiry, PGIMS has decided to make medical autopsies mandatory in future cases involving unexplained deaths. The move is intended to ensure that when the clinical cause of death is uncertain, post-mortem findings can provide additional medical evidence and help determine whether any treatment-related factor needs to be examined.
The inquiry report was submitted after the panel failed to meet its earlier deadline at the end of August. The institute has not officially disclosed details about the five patients.
The latest decision is aimed at strengthening the hospital’s review process in cases where the cause of death remains unclear and ensuring that future investigations are supported by post-mortem evidence where required.
