Jehangir hospital absolves doctors of medical negligence

Family had alleged negligence after hotelier's wife delivered stillborn; hospital committee finds doctors innocent

Jehangir hospital absolves doctors of medical negligence

Family had alleged negligence after hotelier's wife delivered stillborn; hospital committee finds doctors innocent

Four days after hotelier Nitin Chavan lost his baby to alleged medical negligence on the part of doctors, Jehangir hospital authorities declared that there was no negligence involved.

On December 29, Pikipratyusha Chavan (36) was admitted to the hospital around 6.30 pm after she started experiencing labour pains. The family alleged that despite being in pain for several hours and requesting a caesarean operation, doctors did not conduct the delivery till the senior doctor arrived the next morning.

The hospital authorities instituted an internal inquiry to find out details about the incident.

On that day, hospital superintendent Dr Prasad Mogrikar had said that he would conduct an inquiry into the matter and check the patient's records. He had assured that if found guilty, the doctors would be suspended.

Mogrikar said that the inquiry had found that the doctors were not negligent. "The patient was under the doctor's care for a long time and she was managed well. On that day too, doctors were attending to her and her treatment started in time. It is unfortunate that she lost the baby but no negligence could be established," said Mogrikar.

The family alleged that the baby died in the womb because of non-availability of the doctor and the lax attitude of junior doctors.

When asked if the baby would have been saved if delivered earlier, Mogrikar said, "I am not a gynaecologist and this is a technical question. I do not think any of us should make an attempt at jumping to conclusion on this subject; only an expert can tell what the chances were in this case."