13 deaths in 9 months
Agartala: Tripura Health Minister Tapan Charkraborty on Monday informed the Assembly that government is taking the issue of doctors negligence seriously and has initiated action against seven including four doctors of Agartala Govt Medical College (AGMC) and GBP Hospital.
The doctors had performed wrong surgery on a patient on September 13 last.
Making a statement in the Assembly, Chakraborty said Ratan Das (53) of Ampi of Gomuti district had been admitted for excision of vascular growth inside the mouth for biopsy but three surgeons, including an Assistant Professor had operated on his urinary tract.
‘The inquiry committee headed by Director of Health Service has found the doctors, including the anaesthesiologist at the rank of Assistant Professor, operated him carelessly. They did not even hear the patient or examine the relevant papers, which is considered to be a rarest kind of negligence on the part of the doctors,’ Chakraborty said.
He, however, pointed out that the enquiry team had interacted with 13 people, including the victim and the accused, besides, examining the medical records of the patient and found four doctors and four para-medicos responsible for the incident.
‘All of them have already been served show-cause notices and other legal action will be taken soon. But whatever punishment will be given them that will definitely be exemplary in the country because the mistake they committed is unacceptable,’ Chakraborty added.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Sudip Roy Barman alleged that taking advantage of being close to the Chief Minister and Health Minister, a few doctors had become unruly and caused serious damage to the health service.
Attacking Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, he stated, ‘Not only in health, the recent trend shows no minister can work independently in the department he or she is assigned because of Chief Minister’s interference and as a result, officers are trying to make CM happy or convince even if the concerned minister disagrees.’
He alleged that Agartala Govt Medical College (AGMC) and GBP Hospital have as many as 18 professors but none of them are staying in Agartala regularly and neither attending the patients nor teaching the students properly for past five years.
Despite knowing the fact, the government did not take any action against them.
‘It is also evident that the medical college is letting the patients be treated by the interns, junior doctors and a few Assistant Professors who have attained the position despite not having eligibility at the behest of Chief Minister and ruling CPI-M party,’ Barman alleged.
After passing with a simple MD degree obtained during service, they are not only treating the patients but also teaching the future doctors.
‘As many as 13 deaths had taken place allegedly due to medical negligence in past nine months in AGMC and IGM hospital of Agartala and six cases of harassment, including senior Congress MLA and opposition leader, had been reported this year but in no case the government had given any exemplary punishment.
Rather, it had criticised the patient parties and for protection of the doctors and nurses the government was desperately trying to pass a separate Act,’ Barman added. (UNI)