Docs suspended after alleged negligence leads to patient’s death | Mumbai news

THANE: The state health department has suspended two senior doctors from the state-run Ulhasnagar Central Hospital following the death of a 30-year-old Ulhasnagar resident, Rahul Indate. The patient died allegedly because the hospital failed to facilitate his transfer to a private hospital when its doctors realised they were not equipped to provide the required treatment.

Although Indate died in January, the doctors – the head of the hospital and the surgeon on duty – were suspended only on Thursday, after the issue was discussed in a pre-budget session of the state legislature.

On Thursday, Dr Manohar Bansode, district surgeon of the Ulhasnagar Central Hospital, and Dr Aishwarya More, the surgeon on duty, were served their suspension orders for allegedly violating the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules of 1979.

“As the head and controlling officer of the Central Hospital, Ulhasnagar-3, Dr Manohar Bansode failed to exercise due diligence in treating patient Rahul Indate, who was admitted on January 22, 2025. Additionally, the patient was not provided an (alternative) ambulance for referral services on time, leading to his death on January 23, 2025. This negligence in duty constitutes a violation of Rule 3 of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979,” read the suspension order.

Indate, a resident of Harshvardhan Nagar in Ulhasnagar’s MIDC area, was brought to the hospital on the night of January 22, with acute pancreatitis with splenic vein thrombosis and ascites. He was in severe physical distress and received initial treatment. However, when his condition worsened, doctors allegedly recommended an immediate transfer to a private hospital for further treatment.

Indate’s family dialed 108, a government-run emergency response number, but an ambulance failed to arrive in time. So they decided to drive him to a private hospital in their own vehicle but he died en route.

The incident triggered anger among local residents, who slammed the Ulhasnagar Central Hospital for failing to help transfer Indate to a private facility, despite his emergency status. Social activist Shivaji Ragde demanded against the doctors concerned, stating, “This is not just an accident; it is a case of medical negligence. A young life was lost due to carelessness. Those responsible must face severe punishment.”

The delay in the arrival of an ambulance via the 108 service too sparked outrage among local residents, who raised serious concerns about negligence in the healthcare system. The case, raised by MLA Rais Shaikh in the legislative assembly, led to an inquiry revealing alleged lapses in patient care, including delays in ambulance availability and questions over the need for referral to a private facility despite the hospital having essential facilities such as an ICU. This also raised concerns about hospital protocols.

The state health department proceeded to issue the two senor doctors a show cause notice and suspended them on Thursday. According to the suspension order, Dr Bansode has been prohibited from leaving his headquarters until further notice and is also banned from taking any private employment during the suspension period.

In his reply to the show case notice, Dr Bansode has denied any negligence. He said that the doctor on duty had referred the patient on January 23, but a 108 ambulance was delayed by two hours. He claimed he was not informed and could have arranged an alternative if alerted.

Dr Bansode maintains he fulfilled his duties and requested no action against him. He has also said he will challenge his suspension in the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT). Dr Aishwarya More was unavailable for comment.