Cooper conducts 'inconclusive' inquiry into 6 docs

Purushottam Jha, 13 year, who two months ago slipped into vegetative state after his heart and brain suffered severe damage during a hand surgery in Cooper Hospital, is unlikely to get justice anytime soon. The internal inquiry being conducted by the hospital committee, which concluded this week and will be submitted on Monday, has put an ‘inconclusive” remark over the role of six doctors.

The hospital formed a committee to probe into the allegations of gross medical negligence by the anaesthetists and orthopaedic surgeons. According to sources, the boy suffered a heart attack due to an overdose of anesthesia.
However, the hospital committee in it’s two-month-long inquiry failed to find the reasons that led to the heart attack that ended up blocking the oxygen flow to the brain pushing Jha into coma. Dr Shashikant Wadekar, the Medical Superintendent of Cooper Hospital confirmed the development.

Subodh Jha, father of the victim, a watchman in a school in Andheri told, “I am shocked to learn that the Cooper hospital did not find anything wrong during their inquiry. Everyone at the hospital knows it’s a case of anesthesia overdose.
The report is an eye wash. The hospital is definitely saving the doctors responsible for this gross negligence.”

Dr Wadekar refuted the allegations made by the victim’s father and said, “It is very difficult to understand the response of a human body towards a medicine. I am proposing another inquiry by KEM or Nair Hospital to get rid of any doubts that our committee has.”

The committee summoned seven doctors to depose of which three doctors were given a clean chit by Dr Wadekar. “Dr Sunita, Dr Ketan Oswal and Dr Nikhul Tombe were asked to depose as they were handling another surgery at nearby table in the same Operation Theatre and tried to help the four doctors handling Purushottam’s case,” said Dr Wadekar.

The doctors under inquiry are Dr Sonali, who administered the anesthesia, Dr Dynanoba Barate the orthopedic, Dr Rajiv Reddy who is the house officer and Dr Vrushank Shah, the registrar.

Interestingly, four out of seven doctors, Dr Sonali, Dr Sunita, Dr Reddy and Dr Barate, have already quit the hospital. On being questioned about the sudden resignation of the doctors, Dr Wadekar said, “The girls were appointed by DMER and serving a bond the term of which expired in July. Other two who have quit were registrar and house officer who also completed their stint. Dr Reddy joined back this month.”

Meanwhile, the victim who is admitted in Nair Hospital, where he is being given oxygen therapy, has shown little improvement. He is able to understand few instructions. However, the doctors are not sure if the boy will be completely cured.