Cleaning staffer performs ECG at Shatabdi Hospital, probe urged | Mumbai news
MUMBAI: A member of the cleaning staff at the civic-run Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi administered an echocardiogram (ECG) to a patient on December 29, promoting a lawyer to send a legal notice to the state authorities, urging an investigation into the incident. The hospital has not denied the incident, saying instead the individual who conducted the ECG was “educated and qualified enough to conduct the procedure”.
According to advocate Abid Abbas Sayyed, the incident was a gross violation of medical protocol and highlighted the lack of accountability at the medical facility. In his notice, Sayyed drew attention to a woman being administered an ECG by a uniformed, male member of the hospital’s cleaning staff, a procedure that should only be conducted by qualified medical personnel.
The notice, to the chief minister, chief secretary, principal secretary of the public health department, and other authorities, said that the incident has raised serious questions about the quality of healthcare being provided by the hospital and the administration’s responsibility to ensure patient safety. The advocate has urged the authorities to investigate the incident and “address the grave negligence”. He also sought urgent reforms in the healthcare system so that quality care can be provided to patients.
He said this was a “breach of safety and ethics by the hospital” and highlighted the importance of supervision, training and resources in all government-run hospitals. “Patients expect and deserve to be treated by qualified healthcare professionals, and incidents like this highlight a worrying trend of negligence,” added Sayyed in his notice.
The notice also stated that there were reports indicating that some doctors from Shatabdi Hospital and other government facilities were running private clinics, in violation of regulations that forbade them from engaging in private practice. This not only raises ethical concerns but also questions the accountability mechanisms within the healthcare system, the notice stated.
A member of the hospital administration told Hindustan Times, that the individual who conducted the ECG was educated and qualified enough to conduct the procedure. “The ECG machines operate with just the press of a button. The staff had only conducted the ECG and the reports were taken by professional doctors, following proper procedures. This entire incident has been made into a big deal by some politicians. This is all a misunderstanding. We are taking every precaution to provide quality service despite challenges of shortage of professionals in the hospital.”
He added, “The patient was here only for a regular check-up and was not in critical condition. We have added female personnel to attend to female patients in need. We remain committed to providing effective service to our patients.”
