In a shocking incident of medical negligence, three staff members at a prominent government medical college in Kanpur were suspended on Sunday after a living patient was incorrectly declared dead. The action was taken at the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College (GSVMMC) following directions from Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister, Brajesh Pathak.
Serious Lapse Leads to Immediate Suspension
Acting swiftly on the directives of Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, the hospital administration placed a junior resident doctor, a staff nurse, and a ward attendant under suspension. All three were posted in the medicine department of the hospital. The suspension order came after a serious error in Medicine Ward No. 12, Bed No. 43, where official police intimation (PI) paperwork was processed, treating a patient who was alive as if they were deceased.
Inquiry Committee Formed for Detailed Probe
To investigate the grave error, a three-member inquiry committee has been constituted. The panel is headed by Dr. Richa Giri, the Vice-Principal of GSVMMC. The other members include Dr. R.K. Singh, Chief Medical Superintendent of Lala Lajpat Rai and associated hospitals, and Dr. Saurabh Agrawal, also a Chief Medical Superintendent. The committee has been given a strict deadline of three days to submit its detailed report on the incident.
Official Reaction and Future Accountability
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, termed the incident a "serious lapse" in hospital protocol. He directed senior officials to ensure strict accountability is fixed for the error. Pathak further instructed the health department to implement necessary measures to prevent such unacceptable occurrences in the future, emphasizing patient safety as the utmost priority.
The incident has raised serious concerns about procedural checks and patient verification systems in government healthcare facilities. The inquiry committee's findings are awaited to understand the exact chain of failures that led to this alarming mistake.
