Woman’s death sparks probe by AIIMS after family claims delay | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Woman’s death sparks probe by AIIMS after family claims delay

Feb 10, 2023 11:34 PM IST

AIIMS medical superintendent Dr Sanjeev Lalwani said the hospital has already launched a probe into the matter

A 74-year-old woman, who was brought to the emergency department of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), died on Thursday of a “lung collapse”, after she was not provided treatment for nearly five hours, the woman’s family alleged.

AIIMS said action will be taken based on its investigation. (PTI)
AIIMS said action will be taken based on its investigation. (PTI)

AIIMS medical superintendent Dr Sanjeev Lalwani said the hospital has already launched a probe into the matter. “The matter is being looked into and we will take appropriate action based on our investigation.”

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Bedamo Devi, a resident of south Delhi’s Neb Sarai, was brought to the emergency department of the hospital around 11pm on Wednesday with breathing difficulties, the family said. They said that the first patient slip was printed at 12.26am, after a wait of nearly an hour-and-a-half, but no treatment was provided to the patient despite repeated alerts provided to the authorities about her deteriorating condition.

“After the first patient slip was made, she (Devi) was kept in the emergency unit for 30 minutes but no treatment was provided to her. We were then told to take her away because there were no beds available,” said a family member of the patient, who asked not to be identified.

When her condition deteriorated further, Devi’s son, who was accompanying her, tried to get her admitted again, and the hospital authorities asked him to get another patient slip. It was around 5am.

HT has a copy of the two patient slips. The first one was issued at 12.26am on Thursday, and the second one was made 5.34am.

“By then, her condition had worsened. By the time the doctor finally saw her, she had lost her life,” the relative said.

The doctors cited pneumothorax as the reason for her death. Pneumothorax means a collapsed lung, which occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and chest wall. This air then pressures the lung from outside leading to its collapse.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior doctor from the hospital’s emergency department said on Friday that the family was informed about the shortage of beds, even in the ‘red category’. He said that they were asked to take the patient to a different hospital. “The case has been brought to the notice of the superiors, and an inquiry will be called to assess what happened that night,” the doctor said.

The hospital recently introduced colour-coded classification of patients coming to the emergency unit, based on how critical their condition is. Red category is for the most critical patients, who require immediate medical attention; yellow is the category where the degree of criticality is serious, but not life threatening if not immediately tended to; and green is for patients who do not have a life-threatening condition and can be referred to another hospital.

Last October, AIIMS director Dr M Srinivas had met the heads of around 20 hospitals across the Capital, to discuss a new referral policy where patients can be cross-referred medical resources and expertise can be shared among hospitals to curb crowding of non-critical patients in the apex institute to ensure that timely treatment is available to those who are critically ill.

In the meeting, AIIMS proposed a two-way referral system, and a dashboard through which beds in hospitals can be tracked. The apex institute also proposed a patient tracking system where the doctors can see the status of their patient in emergency, for instance checking investigations that are pending, pending referral calls to specialty departments, etc.

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Soumya Pillai covers environment and traffic in Delhi. A journalist for three years, she has grown up in and with Delhi, which is often reflected in the stories she does about life in the city. She also enjoys writing on social innovations.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On