In a shocking incident that exposes severe medical negligence, a patient was mistakenly declared dead by staff at the government-run Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital in Kanpur. The blunder, which occurred on Saturday, has led to the immediate suspension of three hospital employees and prompted a high-level investigation.
Deputy CM Orders Swift Action, Calls Incident 'Height of Insensitivity'
Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister, Brijesh Pathak, took to social media platform X to address the grave error. He confirmed that a case of declaring a living patient dead had surfaced at the Kanpur hospital, which operates under the GSVM Medical College.
Minister Pathak stated that the doctor on duty, nursing staff, and an attendant were suspended after being found prima facie guilty. He announced the formation of a three-member team to investigate the entire matter and demanded its report within three days.
"Such incidents are the height of insensitivity," Pathak said. He emphasized that this level of negligence would not be tolerated under any circumstances and promised strict action against those responsible. The Deputy CM also mentioned that instructions have been issued to prevent such horrific mistakes in the future.
How the Fatal Error Unfolded in Ward 12
The sequence of events that led to this alarming situation took place in Medicine Ward Number 12. A patient was admitted to the ward, while on the adjacent bed lay an unidentified 60-year-old destitute man.
During treatment, the elderly destitute patient passed away. However, in a catastrophic mix-up, the medical staff mistakenly recorded the living patient as deceased. Following the erroneous declaration, the hospital authorities sent a police notification under the alive patient's name, initiating the process for a postmortem.
Swaroop Nagar police officers arrived at the hospital to conduct the postmortem, only to discover the man was very much alive. This revelation brought the horrifying mistake to light and triggered immediate administrative action.
Internal Probe Launched, Suspensions Issued
Chief Medical Superintendent Dr. RK Singh attributed the situation squarely to the negligence of the health staff on duty. Taking cognizance of the serious lapse, the principal of GSVM Medical College, Dr. Sanjay Kala, constituted a separate three-member inquiry committee.
This committee comprises Vice-Principal Dr. Richa Agarwal, Chief Medical Superintendent Dr. Saurabh Agarwal, and Superintendent-in-Charge Rakesh Singh. They have been directed to conduct a thorough probe and submit a fact-finding report within 48 hours.
"Strict action will be taken based on the findings," Dr. Kala asserted. Following initial investigations, the hospital administration suspended Junior Doctor Himanshu Maurya, Staff Nurse Sunny Sonkar, and Ward Attendant Rahnuma on charges of gross negligence.
The incident has raised serious questions about protocol adherence and patient safety in government healthcare facilities. The swift suspensions and the dual investigations ordered by both the Health Minister and the medical college principal indicate the gravity with which authorities are treating this case of medical malpractice.
