Hospital staff blamed for patient’s death

Committee recommends action against negligent staff

ABBOTABAD:

An inquiry committee formed to probe the death of a female patient named Saira Bano, who had died in Women and Children Hospital (WCH) earlier, has concluded that the health facility failed to involve medical consultation throughout her stay in hospital despite the deterioration of her health.

The inquiry report headed by Dr Mukhtar Ahmad of Ayub Teaching Hospital said that the hospital could not arrange ICU in own hospital and did massive blood transfusion which was arranged from laboratories outside the hospital. “The FFP transfusion was neither administered with required medical protocols nor monitored to assess for any reaction symptoms, which is not only a strong possibility but has fatal consequences. The paramedical staff and doctor(s) on duty are responsible for this professional negligence,” the report said, recommending the highest penalty against the paramedical staff and the doctor (s) on duty.

The Inquiry committee had been formed on the request of the husband of the deceased.

The inquiry report stated that there must be a properly written and approved protocol for shifting critical patients to the ICU. “Clinical executive board must make it sure to develop such a document by mutual consultation with the various departments. Seniority should be respected and a call from a senior must be responded to by a senior of the same level, even on the phone.

Procedure for sending a call must be clearly documented and hospital authorities must ensure that ward boys must be bound to take the calls where and when necessary and it should never be done by the attendants,” it said.

Read IHC seeks report on healthcare standards

It said that laboratories having no haematologist must be banned from keeping blood products and should not be allowed to play with the lives of patients.

The district government should be requested to inspect and audit all the blood banks outside the hospital to make and keep their standards according to the government rules. The district HRA should also be involved.

The committee suggested action against the hospital staff, which included Dr Jawaria for not proper compliance with the action suggested by the ICU doctor on duty. Dr Bushra should be given a major penalty for not properly interpreting the lab investigations, giving support to the junior and for not bothering about the serious patient throughout the night.

“She even did not visit once or even asked on phone about the condition of the patient during her duty,” the report said adding that Dr Gohar should be given a warning for not appreciating the morning orders /investigations during his duty.

It said that Dr Kanwal should be given an explanation that why her tenure of rotation in ICU should be extended for another term of three months for not performing her duty properly as per the protocol of ICU.

“Dr Tahir should be given some major penalty for not seeing the critical patient and refusing the admission during his duty and deciding about the condition of the patient just on presumption.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2021.