The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) fined a prominent diagnostic clinic in the southern part of the city Rs 3,00,000 on charge of negligence in performing colonoscopy investigation of a patient.
The WBCERC has directed the management of the clinic to pay the money to the patient as compensation in eight installments.
Subhra Dey took her husband, an employee of a Odisha-based private company, to the diagnostic centre for colonoscopy test, a couple of weeks ago. But the patient developed perforation, a severe complication with a relatively high mortality rate, during the procedure. The patient required emergency medical intervention.
The patient lodged a complaint with the regulatory commission seeking its interventions.
As per the complaint, the diagnostic center didn’t take any initiative for emergency medical care of the patient. The patient was rushed to the ESIC Medical College Hospital at Joka in an ambulance. He was discharged from the hospital, but still bed-ridden at his residence.
“After hearing both sides, the complainant and diagnostic center, we found several negligence while performing the colonoscopy process. Perforation may develop during this procedure but the diagnostic couldn’t take any initiative by making emergency medical arrangements like sending the patient to any government hospital,” said Justice Asim Banerjee, chairman of the WBCERC, today.
“The patient belongs to a poor middle class family and is still bed-ridden at his residence. He couldn’t join the office in Odisha. He has one child and ailing parents who are dependent on him. We have asked the diagnostic center to pay Rs 3 lakh as compensation in eight installments to the patient,” Justice Banerjee, a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court told reporters today.