Mumbai: The report of the preliminary inquiry into the death of 32-year-old Rajesh Maru in a mishap involving the MRI machine at Nair Hospital has found a ward boy and female attendant at fault.
The report, submitted to the Municipal Commissioner on April 11, claims ward boy Vitthal Chavan and attendant Sunita Surve ignored protocols to be followed when a patient is wheeled in for an MRI scan. It has also listed security lapses at the hospital.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Idzes Kundan said, “The CCTV footage shows the ward boy and the aayah (female attendant) haven’t followed any protocol. The attendant should have warned relatives against entering with the oxygen cylinder, but is seen simply watching them. The ward boy too has ignored this aspect. A detailed inquiry has been proposed.”
In the incident on January 27, Mr Maru, a relative of a critically ill patient, took an oxygen cylinder near the machine, which was pulled by machine’s magnetic field. He couldn’t let go of the cylinder in time.
The police booked four people for negligence, including Mr. Chavan, Ms. Surve, and Drs. Saurabh Lanjekar (medicine department) and Siddhant Shah (radiology) .
Ms. Kundan said departmental action is being considered. “The report indicated security lapses such as overcrowding by relatives. Following attacks on doctors, hospitals allow only two relatives to accompany a patient; this hasn’t been followed.”
