Doctor booked for medical negligence

A doctor of Landmark Hospital, Sector 33, has been booked for alleged medical negligence in connection with the death of a 74-year-old woman, Amarjit Kaur, eight months ago.

The case was registered under Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code against Dr Parminder Singh and others based on the findings of a medical board constituted by the UT Administration.

Victim’s son Sukhwinder Pal Sodhi had submitted a complaint stating that on March 16, his mother suffered a femur fracture and was admitted to the hospital for surgery. He requested the latest and MRI-compatible implant for his mother. Amarjit was discharged one day after the surgery.

Fifteen days later, on April 3, Sodhi returned to the hospital with his mother who was disoriented and had dangerously low sodium levels. Despite these concerns, Dr Harsimran allegedly did not admit her and merely prescribed some medication. The following day she experienced severe seizures and was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, where she was admitted to the ICU and put on ventilator.

The GMCH staff required an MRI, but needed confirmation of the implant’s compatibility. It was alleged that Dr Harsimran initially stated that the implant was MRI-compatible, but refused to give a written assurance, directing Sodhi to his father Dr Parminder Singh, who also refused to provide a written confirmation. This delay prevented the MRI and Amarjit’s condition worsened. She died on April 16 after remaining in ICU for 12 days.

Following the complaint, a medical negligence committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Dr AK Attri, Director-Principal, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32.

The committee, in its reported submitted on July 9, concluded that while there were no complaints about the surgical procedure itself, the hospital’s follow-up care was severely lacking. The doctors failed to manage low sodium levels according to protocol and did not provide crucial MRI compatibility information on time. These lapses in medical management led to further complications and ultimately death, the committee said while categorising the case as medical negligence.