Hosps fined Rs 10L each for lapses causing deaths

Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has asked two hospitals to cough up a sum of Rs 10 lakh each after the health panel found lapses in patient care services on their part. In the two cases, both patients died.

In the first case, Pratap Chandra Ghosh took his 21-year-old daughter to Narayana Superspecialty Hospital Hospital on Jan 9. The patient was rushed to the emergency department. He complained that despite the emergency wing referring the patient to a cardiologist, no cardiologist attended to her immediately. The patient, who was admitted in the hospital, died the next day.

“We have ordered the hospital to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation,” said WBCREC chairman Justice (retd) Ashim Kumar Banerjee.

In another case, Nirmal Chandra Saha complained against Dr Dutta’s Clinic Chandannagar, where he took his 12-year-old daughter in critical condition. Despite advising admission, Saha was asked to take his daughter to another hospital when she collapsed. The health commission found that the girl died when she was being taken inside the ambulancel.

“In this case, there was delay in attending to the patient. The patient was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. The family was asked to take the patient to another hospital even as she collapsed. We have directed the clinical establishment to pay Rs 10 lakh to the deceased family,” said Banerjee.