The medical body gave its ruling after five patients at Sushruta Trauma Centre died in the ICU in 2012
The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) on Wednesday has ruled administrative failure and asked the Delhi government to fix accountability at the earliest for the death of five patients at a hospital in 2012. The five patients had died at Sushruta Trauma Centre in 2012 due to the shortage of oxygen supply.
In its decision, the DMC said that there was no medical negligence on the part of doctors. It has claimed that lack of oxygen supply caused the deaths, and asked the Delhi government to fix accountability and initiate corrective measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
"Disruption of supply was a lapse on the part of the company, who was responsible for supplying a continous supply of oxygen. No medical negligence can be attributed to the doctors at Sushruta Trauma Centre,"said Dr Girish Tyagi, registrar, DMC.
The DMC has also asked that proper maintenance of the equipment and gas pipeline in the centre be carried out. "In future, any disruption in the supply of the oxygen and such failure of equipment should be brought to the notice of the competent authority by the person who is responsible for using this equipment for the rectification of this defect," said the council in a statement.
As per the process, if a person reports a matter to the DMC, the council issues a show-cause notice to the doctor concerned. If he or she is found guilty, the council registers a complaint with the police. Thereafter, the police have to register an FIR, after which the matter is taken to court.
The Delhi government's first and oldest trauma centre - Sushruta Trauma Centre - had come under the scanner in December 2012, after five critically ill patients - who were on the ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit - died due to interrupted oxygen supply. Police said the supply had reportedly been switched off to facilitate repair work at the gas plant.
The then Health Minister Dr AK Walia then constituted a four-member panel to review the existing medical procedures and facilities at government hospitals.
...& ANALYSIS
- The recent Gorakhpur tragedy shows that little has changed over five years, regarding lack of oxygen supply in hospitals. Clearly, lack of accountability and strict measures prevail.
- Most hospitals use an obsolete gas pipeline system which can easily develop defects. Also, often the same company is hired by many hospitals making the problem worse.
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