A complaint has been filed against a reputed city hospital by the family of a deceased patient, alleging that wrong diagnosis and wrong treatment led to the patient’s death.

Ashwani Diwan, the son of the deceased, has lodged complaints against Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, on EM Bypass, with the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) and West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC), contending that wrong diagnosis and wrong treatment, including radiotherapy along with chemotherapy and strong doses of steroid on the 61 yearold ‘non-cancer’ patient for four months caused his death.

Diwan sought an inquiry to probe the ‘negligence in misdiagnosis and treatment’ causing the death of his father Ashok Diwan, a businessman of New Town area.

“The patient Mr Ashok Diwan, aged 60 years was admitted to Apollo Gleneagles hospitals, Kolkata on 9 July, 2018 and diagnosed with Brainstem Glioma. He was treated accordingly as per standard treatment protocols,” a spokesperson of the hospital said.

“He was re-admitted at Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata on August 26, 2018 and after prolonged treatment was discharged against medical advice on 16 December, and transferred to another clinical facility of the family’s choice. He was subsequently taken to Apollo Hospitals, Chennai by the family where he expired on 26 December,” she added.

“The history of brainstem glioma was also established at the other clinical facilities. We would not like to comment any further at this stage as the matter is already under purview of the Hon’ble West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission,” she said. According to Ashwani, his father had some problems in his right hand and right leg and he was taken to a local neuromedicine expert in Salt Lake who recommended an MRI for him.

“The MRI was done at the hospital on 7 July last year and then on 9 July my father was taken to another doctor of neuromedicine there for second opinion. He referred the patient to a neurosurgeon beside his chamber. The neurosurgeon saw the MRI report and detected it as a case of brain cancer of stage IV,” Mr Diwan said.

“The surgeon advised us for immediate admission of my father saying he might not survive for more than 18 months. He also asked the patient to take chemotherapy with radiation and highdose steroid treatment. The doctor also prescribed a stereo tactic biopsy. But the biopsy was never done till my father died on 26 December at Apollo Hospital in Chennai,” he said. After staying at the Kolkata Apollo Gleneagles hospital for three days, he used to come from home to take the chemotherapy with radiation treatment for about one month from 18 July. In the meantime he also used to take the steroid treatment from 9 July, Ashwani said.

The neurosurgeon referred the patient to a radiation oncologist of the hospital after his condition deteriorated, suffering fatigue, sweating, and breathlessness after undergoing chemo with steroid medication.

With the advice of the radiation oncologist the patient underwent a chest Xray and chest CT scan that revealed he had developed lung infection.