Lucknow private hospitals still silent even a week after CMO flags negligence

A team headed by the chief medical officer (CMO), conducted surprise inspections of private hospitals, is awaiting answers from around 15 private hospitals that were served notices during the inspections held over the past week. The CMO initiated these surprise inspections after repeated cases of medical malpractice at private hospitals had come to light in recent weeks.

According to the additional CMO, Dr AP Singh, “We are awaiting responses or explanations from 12 to 15 of these hospitals, and their clock will run out within the next two or three days.” He added, “We have not launched investigations into these individual hospitals as we have to wait for the notified period for them to appear before us with documentation and explanations to our queries.”

The ACMO further said, exemplifying the case of KD Hospital in Khadra, “We gave the hospital two consecutive warnings to explain the role of the doctors and provide documents of the patient’s treatment. But the hospital owner locked it up and never responded. As such, we had no option but to stop the operations of the hospital.”

As for the other private hospitals under the scanner, most of them were issued notices due to absentee doctors, while some were flagged for poor waste management and unsanitary conditions. “We have asked these hospitals to provide the shift schedules of the doctors at certain hospitals where we found no doctors at all during lunchtime,” said the ACMO. “Whether part-time or full-time, there must be a doctor at any hospital at all times. We were given excuses that the doctors had gone for their lunch or afternoon prayers. We have asked these hospitals for explanations.” He added that in case these incidents are exceptions, the CMO is waiting to see if the statements are satisfactory.

“Some hospitals had issues with waste management as well,” he informed. These establishments will also have to provide the CMO with a defence for such negligence, as well as assurances that the hospital facilities will be kept clean and sanitary.

According to the CMO, “In another two to three days, we will provide a list of all hospitals that fail to submit their statements or documents. They will either receive a second warning or face licence cancellation, as in the case of KD Hospital.” KD Hospital was accused of a botched operation on a KGMU (King George’s Medical University) patient, who died two weeks later while on ventilator support. So far, other hospitals publicly brought into question and inspected by the CMO include Eva Hospital and Blue Line Hospital.