The family of a youth, who died after a surgery at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong, brought allegations of medical negligence against the hospital and doctors.
The 23 year old youth was operated upon by the doctors of NEIGRIHMS for an “unknown” reason, as the family were only told that she had “intestinal problems” on January 17.
The family alleged that after the surgery, the patient was kept at the intensive care unit for four days and then shifted to the “lower ward”. The family claimed that they were not explained about the illness and that her condition deteriorated. Despite requesting the attending medical staff there, her pleas to take her back to the ICU went unheard, they stated.
The family also produced pieces of paper with calls for help by the patient before she died yesterday.
In one of the piece, the patient wrote in Khasi on January 22 at 8 am to take her back to the ICU because the oxygen was not functional. She wrote that her plea was unheard. Again, on January 23 at 11 am she wrote, “…Help all happening this.” An undated piece of paper had a request to take her outside.
The family also alleged that they were not able to meet any doctor since the surgery, until January 22. The next day the patient was declared dead by the hospital authority at 9 pm.
The family alleged that no medical documents were produced by the hospital except for a death certificate which was given to them soon after she died.
Meanwhile, hospital sources informed that there was no negligence and that the patient was given all the medical care possible.
She had multiple health complications as she was a patient already with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in heart, chest and bowel. Bowel TB had created severe blockage requiring urgent surgery.
A statement is expected from the hospital to clarify that there was no medical or nursing negligence.
