AIIMS to probe negligence case

Oct 19 : Dr. Venugopal, Director of All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) constituted a five-member committee to look into the complaint of negligence against the head of the Department of Cardio-Thoracic Vascular Surgery, Sampath Kumar.

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He was suspended from the post until the investigation cleans him up of the charges.

Sampath Kumar has reported to have operated on 12 year old Tsering Norbu and had tied his aorta, the artery that supplies to the body instead of closing patent ductus arteriosus.

Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart problem that occurs soon after birth in some babies. After birth this vessel gets closed within few days of birth but in some babies this remain open which allow blood to flow directly from aorta into pulmonary artery.

“The child was admitted on March 15 with symptoms including shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat and was operated on the next day to correct the condition. After the operation, the child was brought to the intensive care unit, where within one-and-hours the child was detected to have excess bleeding, no urine output, and high blood pressure in the upper limbs and no pulse in the lower limbs. He was rushed back to the operation theatre, where it was found that Sampath Kumar had tied and closed the child’s aorta. The child died allegedly due to the negligence,” said an AIIMS official.

Balram Airen, will head the Department of Cardio –Thoracic Vascular Surgery.

A.K Bisoi, a Doctor from the Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, was suspended after he was found leaving a screw inside a patient during heart surgery. The patient died later, due to multiple organ failure.

Though the AIIMS panel has freed him of all the charges against him but Home Ministry is reinvestigating the case on its own.

Health Minister and AIIMS Chairman Dr Anbumani Ramadoss reversed the order and reestablished Sampath Kumar to both posts within hours.

This action only tells about the ongoing tussle between Ramadoss and AIIMS Director Venugopal.

Since, Sampath letter to Home ministry against Dr. Bisoi negligence case, this step is an attempt by the AIIMS Director to further complicate the complex things.

An AIIMS professor said “It’s just an example of digging up dirt to muddy the waters. We are shocked that action against Kumar is being taken for a case that allegedly happened over seven months ago”.

However, Venugopal’s step has invited criticism as the post on which he is serving has been not given any authority to suspend a senior faculty of the institute. He can only do so in case of group C and D employee.

AIIMS, a premier institute has become a battle ground for these two, which is loosing its sheen because of the two national figures displaying their hostility in the public.

Instead, they should take such cases seriously and punish those found guilty of negligence under law.