'Doctors in India must be made accountable'

New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) An US-based NRI, who has sued five doctors for Rs 77.7 crore alleging death of his wife due to medical malpractice, today called for making doctors in India accountable.

''Anuradha died due to negligence of doctors... In India the medical fraternity is just not held accountable and to stop any more case like my wife, checks and balances must be put in place,'' Dr Kunal Saha told a news conference here.

''There are some reckless doctors and they must be punished for killing the patients,'' Dr Saha, the president of People for Better Treatment (PBT), said.

The Ohio-based AIDS specialist has sued five doctors of Kolkata's Amri-Apollo Hospital for allegedly causing the death of his wife Anuradha (36), due to their negligence in May 1998.

He claimed that despite several deaths due to medical alpractises, not even one doctor was ever held responsible and his license cancelled.

''Not even a single doctor has had his license cancelled despite several negligence deaths.... this has made the state of our health services abysmal,'' he added.

Alleging that the West Bengal Medical Council was abetting such ''reckless doctors'', he said the council must work for protecting the interest of patients.

Explaining why he demanded the whopping Rs 77.7 crore in damages, he said the amount had been based on Anuradha's young age and her potential income in US dollars as a clinical psychologist.

''If wins the case against the hospital and the doctors I will donate all the money towards health care in India,'' he added.

Yesterday, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) set March 21 as 21 as the date for issuing directions in the case which was file in 1999.

The Commission is likely to decide the compensation award after courts settle the medical negligence aspect of the case.

A bench, comprising Justice M B Shah, Justice K S Gupta and Ms Rajyalakshmi Rao, asked complainant Kunal Saha if he would abide by the Kolkata Medical Council verdict, which has already give a clean chit to the doctors of the Amri-Apollo Hospital in the case.

Dr Saha is likely to appeal either in the High Court or the Supreme Court in the case.

Kolkata Medical Council, headed by Chairman Ashok Choudhary, had heard the case and given a clean chit to all five doctors-- Dr Kaushik Nandi, Dr Shiv Kumar Mukherjee, Dr Vaidnath Haldar, Dr Abony Roy Choudhary and Dr Balram Prasad-- in the case.

On April 3, the Supreme Court will hear a plea by Dr Saha against the Kolkata Medical Council chairman for his alleged biased judgement in the case.

Anuradha, who was visiting her parents in Kolkata, was suffering from toxic epidermal necrolysis, a form of skin allergy.

Dr Saha alleged that the doctors there "wrongly" administered a lethal steroid Depomedrol, normally given in chronic case of asthma or arthritis.

It can be given only once in two weeks even if prescribed but it was allegedly administered to her two times every day.

Anuradha, who developed serious complications, was immediately shifted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.

She died after being treated there for 11 days.

Hospital authorities have contended that they are not responsible for Anuradha's death since she died at Breach Candy Hospital.

However, Dr Saha alleged that she was in a bad condition when she was taken to Mumbai.

UNI NR VD KN1729