AIIMS committee gives clean chit to doctors in negligence case

New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) An AIIMS fact finding committee, formed to look into the allegations that a 75-year-old-patient had died due to medical negligence, today gave a clean chit to its doctors, saying the patient had died of multi-organ failure.

Gokul Prasad, who underwent heart bypass surgery on August 17 at AIIMS, died on September 20. A two to three mm diameter and seven to 10 mm long screw had slipped from the sternum retractor, that is used during the surgery, and the doctors had closed his chest cavity. An AIIMS statement said the committee found that the ''fall of the small, sterile and smooth screw was clearly accidental''.

''There was no negligence,'' said the report of the five-member Committee headed by Hospital Management Board Chairman S C Tiwari.

''The Committee looked into all evidences and circumstances about the case and came to the conclusion that at no stage the accidental loss or retrieval of the screw had anything to do with the death of the patient,'' the statement said.

''The patient died on account of his skin and renal problems leading to multi-organ failure,'' it added.

On August 20, Gokul Prasad underwent another surgery to remove the screw.

UNI