At the heart of ’negligence’

City businessman dies at Escorts after mulitple surgeries; family cries foul

At the heart of 'negligence'

City businessman dies at Escorts after mulitple surgeries; family cries foul

'The attendants of Mr Sunil Kumar Srimal are requested to contact the help desk.'

The relatives of the 59-year-old Delhi businessman had answered numerous such calls for about a month in the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre. But, on Monday it was the final call.

The Darya Ganj jeweller's family was happy that he was treated by one of the best doctors in the business. However, the happiness was short lived as Srimal developed complications.

"Dr Ashok Seth used four stents but we were told that only three stents have been used (costing Rs 1,15,00 each). They put an extra stent and didn't charge anything for that," said Siddharth Jain, Srimal's son.

He added that they tried to consult Dr Seth but since he was not available the case was referred to the junior doctors in the surgeon's team.

After various blood tests and ECG, doctors found fluid retention in Srimal's heart and advised his family to admit him for clearing it.

The businessman was admitted to the hospital again on September 14 and after some treatment was discharged two days later. "There was no visible improvement in my father's condition when he was discharged," Siddharth alleged. The medical bill for the stay in hospital amounted to Rs 45,000 this time.

When Srimal's family consulted other doctors about his condition, they were told that the fluid might be blood and was due to the "erroneous" use of stents. However, doctors at Escorts rejected the claim and assured the businessman's family that he was being treated in the best possible manner.

With the condition of the patient deteriorating, Srimal's family admitted him to the hospital yet again on September 25 and this time the doctors decided to perform a bypass surgery to drain the fluid.

Dr ZS Meharwal, another senior surgeon at the institute, performed the operation on Srimal on September 26 that went "successful", according to the operating team.

However, Srimal's blood pressure remained unstable and the very next day he was put on ventilator support and never recuperated. The 59-year-old suffered multiple organ failure subsequently and was put on dialysis.

On Monday morning doctors declared Srimal dead with his family alleging foul play.

They took his body to All India Insititute of Medical Sciences for autopsy and registered a complaint at the New Friend's Colony police station.

What's a Stent?
A stent is a man-made 'tube' inserted into a natural passage/conduit in the body to prevent, or counteract, a disease-induced, localized flow constriction.

The Other Side
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"We won't say a word on this" is what the hospital administration said when asked for their comment on the case

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