SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya on Monday directed the Head of Department, Cardiology of NEIGRIHMS to file an affidavit giving the chronology of care taken of the woman patient from May 5 until her death on May 10 with supporting proof while the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has sought a detailed report from the state government.
A division bench of the high court, which is hearing a public interest litigation on the stalemate at NEIGRIHMS, said that it is quite unfortunate that in the process of working out a lasting solution to the problem and to meet urgent surgeries, nothing positive has been done, as a result of which a 55-year-old lady lost her life after developing complicacies for want of immediate surgical intervention and that too, according to the Cardiology department, for lack of surgical items.
The order further stated that the copy of the affidavit shall be supplied to the counsel appearing for NEIGRIHMS administration for filing a response.
Meanwhile, sources confirmed that the ministry has sought a report from the state government and the latter has taken up the matter with the Medical Superintendent of NEIGRIHMS to share the day-to-day care of the deceased.
“The government is preparing a report on whatever material is available,” a source said, adding that it has told the NEIGRIHMS Medical Superintendent to share all the details of the patient as to how she was handled and what protocols were followed and why she could not be operated upon on the day of her admission in the hospital.
All the reports would be sent to the Ministry and it would be ascertained if the lady died due to the ongoing stalemate, the source said.
In addition, the state government has also asked NEIGRIHMS administration, HoD of the Cardiology and even the Amrit Pharmacy about the availability of stents and other materials in the pharmacy and the requirements of the department.
The woman, hailing from Mawphlang, was admitted in the hospital on May 5 following a heart attack and was posted for surgery on May 6 but due to the stalemate in the institute, the surgery could not be done as per schedule.
As the days passed, her condition deteriorated and on Friday she was put on life support system.
It was informed that the lady needed a stent earlier but later she required an Impella, which is a device used for temporary ventricular support in people with depressed heart function and costs around Rs 20 -25 lakh and not readily available.
