By Our Special Correspondent
SHILLONG: Sannjay Sharma, (45) former bureau chief with The Shillong Times, Tura and later started Cognet Solutions a hugely popular brand designing and publication firm at Lachumiere, passed away on Saturday evening at Nazareth Hospital, Shillong.
Sharma came to the hospital, hale and hearty on Wednesday, (May 9) evening riding his motorbike and was admitted for Liposuction surgery. He signed his own consent form for the surgery.
Prior to that Sharma who had recently gained weight consulted a doctor friend, Dr Henry Nongrum an ENT specialist in Nazareth Hospital about his predicament. His family informed that his weight had exacerbated his back problem and he wanted to treat that by reducing weight as advised by his friends in the medical profession.
Dr Nongrum allegedly put him in touch with a plastic surgeon from Chennai, Dr Rajmohan Veerabardhran. Sharma undertook the Liposuction procedure on Thursday morning at 9.15 am and only came out of it at 3 pm. The surgeon suctioned out 8.6 litres of fat from his body. He left after the operation and entrusted the patient to the care of Nazareth Hospital.
Fr Devasia a close confidante of Sharma who went to visit him on Friday evening said he complained of excruciating pain. His family members informed that the doctors had to sedate him to reduce the pain and enable help him catch some sleep.
Hospital sources also informed that there was a lot of soakage from the point where the Liposuction procedure was carried out. Sharma was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Friday at 8 am after he developed severe complications.
Family members repeatedly tried to contact Dr Rajmohan to seek his advice and find out why the complications have arisen and how to deal with it but he did not pick up their calls.
Sharma passed away at about 6 pm on Saturday. It was evident that something had gone seriously wrong and that Nazareth Hospital was unable to cope with the critical care that Sharma needed at that point of time.
When Dr Gordon Rangad, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) was informed of the seriousness of the case he rushed to Nazareth Hospital and tried to explain to the family members that everything possible was done to save Sharma’s life. But obviously that was not good enough.
Reliable sources inform that Dr Rangad was not in the know about this particular case. This raises a question as to whether doctor-consultants from outside can come and carry out procedures without waiting for the mandatory 48 hours to observe how the patient is doing and deal with post operative complications.
Doctors who did not wish to be named said Liposuction has several complications and should have been carried out in a Tertiary Hospital – fully departmentalized, advanced multi-specialty hospital equipped with the service capabilities needed to support certified Medical Specialists and other licensed physicians and able to provide prompt post operative care.
Hospital sources on condition of anonymity said Sharma had internal haemorrhage for which the family members had been asked to procure medicines and injections. His blood pressure dropped suddenly following which he was put on ventilator on Saturday morning. After that his vital organs collapsed and death was a natural corollary.
Meanwhile, Nazareth Hospital Administrator, Sr Mary Paul who is out of station, expressed deep regret at the incident.
“I express my sincere regrets to the family members of Sannjay Sharma and offer my deepest condolences. This procedure should not have been carried out in my absence. Henceforth I shall not allow any outstation consultants/specialists to operate at Nazareth. Dr Rajmohan was coming to operate on children with cleft palate,” Sr Mary Paul said, adding that she is arriving back on Tuesday and will personally go into the matter.
Sharma leaves behind a host of friends and well wishers, particularly young entrepreneurs in the designing and publishing business whom he mentored. On hearing of his death they thronged the hospital premises with one question – “How did it happen?”
That’s a question the Nazareth Hospital authorities will have to answer.