IAS officer seeks probe against Apollo Hospital

New Delhi, Nov 11: A New York based IAS officer has filed a review petition before the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Union government to institute an inquiry against Apollo Hospital in the capital for alleged medical negligence during the treatment of her mother causing her death.

Urging the Delhi High Court to review its October 8, 2007 order dismissing her PIL, Ms Uma Kumar in her petition said she was not seeking any compensation for the death of her mother due to alleged negligence rather she sought institution of a probe against the private hospital for ''deficiency and negligence'' in their treatment leading to the deaths of at least six people due to septicaemia in June and July, 2000.

While filing the review petition, Ms Kumar said the irony of the fact is that the High Court after hearing the matter for the past seven years and giving several directions to the government, Medical Council of India(MCI) and the private hospital, had dismissed the petition on October 8, 2007, asking her to approach the National Consumer Redressal Commission for compensation.

Ms Kumar's Advocate Mayuri Vats said there was prima facie negligence in the treatment of Ms Kumar's mother as despite court's direction on August 11, 2006, the hospital did not submit the medical reports of the six patients neither before the court's committee nor before the court.

''The Court in its order of August 11, 2006, directed the Apollo hospital to make available all the records of daily treatment schedule of the patients named in the report of the committee so that the same could be examined by the experts,'' the petition said.

The petition also claimed that the court appointed committee comprising eminent medical professionals nominated by the Medical Council of India (MCI) in its report on September 24, 2003 admitted instances of five alleged negligence in the treatment.

''Only the Apollo Hospital can explain details about the negligence and the committee has no access to the day to day treatment records of the hospital,'' said the petition seeking review of the order.

Ms Kumar had admitted her mother to the hospital on May 20, 2000 as she had mild fever. She died on June 17, 2000 and the hospital declared her dead due to tubercular meningitis.

However, the day to day medical reports revealed that she died of septicaemia, a fatal hospital borne disease, claimed the petition.

During the two-month period, five more patients also died of septicaemia due to negligence and unhygienic conditions in the hospital, claimed the petition.

The PIL filed on October 9, 2000 said, ''The petition was filed with a sole purpose to bring to the notice of the court about numerous deficiencies and malpractices bordering on gross negligence taking place in Apollo Hospital.''

UNI