The five-member inquiry panel constituted by the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, has found no negligence on the part of doctors or hospital staff in connection with the deaths of five patients within a span of about two months.
“Since autopsy was not conducted, the doctors’ panel could not reach a concrete conclusion about the exact cause of death. The inquiry had been ordered under the medical superintendent after five patients died at the institute over a period of about two months, raising questions about whether there was any common medical or treatment-related factor behind the deaths. However, the panel could not submit the report by the deadline of August end. The decision is aimed at ensuring that in cases where the clinical cause of death is not clear, an autopsy can provide medical evidence to establish the exact cause and help institutions examine whether any treatment-related factor contributed to the death. The details of the five patients have not been officially shared by the institute. Two of the patients had undergone dental surgeries, while the three others had undergone procedures in different departments.
However, the report indicates that there was no negligence on the part of the doctors or hospital staff who were examining and treating the patients,” Singhal said. He said the deaths involved patients from different departments and suffering from different ailments, and the available medical records did not point to any common cause. Treatment histories and the sequence of events surrounding the deaths, according to the information the committee examined the available medical records. However, sources said the deaths involved patients from different departments and with different ailments.
