Medical Negligence in Delhi Hospital Claimed My Wife’s Life - Husband

Medical Negligence - Tragic End to a Planned Family Trip

In 2018, the Meena family was eagerly planning a pleasure trip. However, their plans took a tragic turn when Gargi Meena, wife of Uttam Chand Meena, experienced a slight stomach pain. To ensure she could travel comfortably, the family took her to Saroj Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi as a precaution. Tragically, they never imagined that Gargi would not return alive from that hospital visit.

On the morning of March 29th, Gargi experienced mild stomach pain. “Since we were going to travel, I thought it was best to vist a hospital for a quick check-up,” said Uttam Chand Meena, her husband. Their elder daughter, Geetanjali Meena, accompanied her mother to the hospital. Around 2:45 or 3:00 P.M, Geetanjali called Uttam, informing him about an impending surgery and that his consent was required.

Unexpected Diagnosis and Urgency

Uttam who works as a government servant recalled consulting with the Chief Medical Officer of his department, K.L. Geena, who advised against any such procedures during the menstrual cycle. She suggested getting medication prescribed and having Gargi discharged immediately. However, when Uttam communicated this to Dr. Nisha Jain, the Head of Gynecology at the hospital, he alleges he was met with hostility. “She yelled at me, ‘Don’t you understand that the patient is dying? How much is she bleeding? Don’t you understand? She will die! Take her if you want,’" Uttam recounted. Faced with this dire warning from a senior medical professional, Uttam felt he had no choice but to proceed with the hospital's recommendation.

Geetanjali, victim Gargi Meena's daughter shared: “Although the pain was not that serious, we went to the hospital for the medicines in case the pain increased on our way, as a precautionary measure for my mother. The doctor said that my mother was bleeding heavily due to her menstrual cycle and had fibroids. However, the fibroids were very small, only 3.3 mm, but still, the doctor insisted that she was bleeding heavily and that she was bleeding to death. Therefore, the doctor said she needed to be operated on immediately. That was the only option given to us.”

Despite his concerns, Uttam tried to reassure his wife. “I gave assurance to my wife that she would be fine when she asked if she would recover. I told her that earlier also three surgeries had taken place, so I asked her to keep the faith and everything would be fine,” he said. He described Gargi as being joyful and looking absolutely fine before the surgery. "How could anyone say that she was suffering from severe pain and that she would bleed to death due to medical negligence in a few hours?" he questioned.

After the surgery, Gargi was in severe pain. Uttam pleaded with the doctors to address her inability to pass urine, not understanding at the time what a catheter was. “As soon as the doctor arrived, I told her that my wife was unable to pass urine and to kindly give her some medicines. The doctor said that she had just had an operation, so obviously there would be pain. She then abruptly removed the bedsheet and said, ‘See, I have inserted the catheter so that the urine could flow into the bag. When there is a bag, the urine would go inside the bag, wouldn’t it? Now, she can’t feel the sensation. So she can’t feel it,’” he explained.

By the next morning, Gargi’s condition had worsened. “At 7 or 7:30 in the morning, they said her sugar level had reached 358, which was uncontrollable, and she would be shifted directly from the labor room to the ICU,” Uttam recounted. Later that morning, the family was asked for another high-risk consent due to her deteriorating condition. "This time, it was taken because the patient's blood sugar was very high, and her veins had become weak. Anything could happen to the patient, and if treatment was to be done, high risk consent had to be given. I was helpless at that time," Uttam added.

Gargi Meena did not survive the ordeal. Uttam Chand Meena's recounting of the events reveals a harrowing experience marked by urgent medical decisions, multiple consents, and a tragic outcome. The Meena family’s planned trip turned into a nightmare, leaving them grappling with an unimaginable loss and unanswered questions about the medical procedures that led to Gargi’s untimely death. Uttam states that his wife was a victim of gross medical negligence. 

A Family's Nightmare: From Routine Check-up to Tragedy

Uttam Chand Meena recalls the moments before his wife, Gargi Meena, was taken into the operation theater. "She appeared happy and jovial, laughing as she removed her accessories and jewelry," he said. There were no signs of pain or distress. However, this joyful demeanor was starkly contrasted by the unbearable pain Gargi experienced after the surgery. The transition from a routine hospital visit to a traumatic ordeal has left many questions unanswered.

How did a simple hospital visit turn into such a traumatic experience? Why was Gargi operated upon, only to be shifted to the ICU and then placed on a ventilator later? What happened during this critical period in the hospital? Did Gargi Meena die due to medical negligence?

As a government employee, Uttam expected seamless access to medical facilities. However, his experience at Saroj Hospital was anything but smooth. “At 7:30 to 8 P.M, Priyanka Gupta called me and said that my package had ended, even though my department had provided me with cashless facilities from admission to discharge, covering all costs,” Uttam recounted. “That evening, she handed me a list of medicines on an A4 sheet and stated that they would only start treating the patient if I brought those medicines.”

Around 2:45 AM, Uttam's daughter and sister-in-law received a call from the hospital informing them that Gargi needed to be shifted to a ventilator. “Since I was at home and the hospital was nearby, I said that I would come and sign the consent form,” he said. However, upon his arrival, the hospital staff allegedly pressured him, stating, “You don’t care about the patient, your patient will die,” suggesting that the family was wasting time.

“I reached the hospital between 3:20 and 3:25 AM. Upon arriving, I saw that the patient was not in a recovery stage. I had an instinct that the hospital had killed her,” he stated. On March 31, 2018, at 4:12 AM, the hospital officially declared that Gargi Meena had passed away.

Legal Battles and the Pursuit of Justice

After Gargi’s death, the family's lawyer, Prashant Vaxish, pointed out that the hospital staff were uncooperative and did not provide the complete set of documents requested by the family related to Gargi's treatment. “Rohini court had instructed and called for the accused doctors as well as the IO to initiate the charges. The charges are yet to be framed,” Vaxish said. The lawyer also mentioned that a separate case was filed under Section 419 of the IPC for impersonation against the doctor, who allegedly did not possess a valid degree.

Simultaneously, the Delhi High Court is dealing with multiple related matters. “Recently, the matter pending before the honorable high court is against the nursing council wherein around 56 percent of nurses were unregistered and practicing in the hospital,” Vaxish added.

The facts of this case are disturbing. An inspection report from the Delhi Nursing Council (DNC) in 2023 reveals that out of the 245 nurses working at Saroj Super Speciality Hospital, only 113 were registered with the Council. Section 17 of the Delhi Nursing Council Act explicitly states that individuals not registered with the Council cannot practice or be employed as nurses in Delhi hospitals. This raises a critical question: how did the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) allow so many unregistered nurses to practice at Saroj Hospital?

Vaxish criticised the DNC's response to the situation. “On one hand, they categorically stated that this hospital needs to be shut down with immediate effect. For the last two years, they have written numerous communications to the Director General of Health Services of the Delhi government. Despite knowing that fake certificates were being issued under the name of the Delhi Nursing Council and that 56% of the nurses in the hospital were not registered, which poses a grave threat, the nursing council merely issued a warning. It was shocking when I saw the letter and read it,” Vaxish said.

Calls for Stricter Regulations

In 2021, the Delhi Nursing Council wrote to the DGHS regarding Saroj Hospital, requesting the withdrawal of the hospital's registration or the imposition of penalties as per the rules of the Delhi Nursing Home Cell. The letter highlighted that the hospital was appointing unqualified nurses who were not registered with the DNC and were working with fake registration certificates, posing a significant danger to patients' lives. However, it appears that no action has been taken against the hospital. Both the Saroj hospital as well as DGHS officials were unavailable for a comment on these critical issues, but Savitha Vasisht, the registrar of the Delhi Nursing Council, confirmed to The Probe that the DNC had indeed sent a letter to the DGHS saying the hospital had to be shut down. However, the DNC did not receive a reply from the DGHS.

The Delhi Medical Council's order in this case clearly states that Dr. Nisha Jain, the doctor in question "failed to exercise a reasonable degree of skill, care, and knowledge expected of a prudent doctor in managing the case". The order also points out that "Dr. Vivek Gupta, the anesthetist, failed to exercise due diligence in record-keeping", and "Dr. Greesh Manwani, the physician, was not diligent in the management of the patient".

The matter is now with the National Medical Commission. However, the fact remains that in cases of medical negligence, it is always the victim's family that must struggle tirelessly for justice. Those in positions of power, who are supposed to facilitate justice, often do very little, and the actual perpetrators are rarely held accountable for their negligence.

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