District Collector Ch. Vijaya Mohan ordered an inquiry by a five-member committee headed by Joint Collector C. Harikiran on Sunday into an allegation that doctors of Omni Hospitals in Kurnool had treated a deceased woman and collected an amount of Rs.1.10 lakh.
The District Collector, District Medical and Health Officer U. Raja Subba Rao and Kurnool Revenue Divisional Officer L. Raghu Babu, visited the hospital at Budhawarapet and formally inquired into the incident, on a complaint by A. Chennaiah of Chintakommadinne village in Allagadda mandal that his sister Suvarthamma, who was injured in a road accident, was allegedly treated after her death.
Suvarthamma, who was married to Yesop of Kullur village in Rajupalem mandal in Kadapa district, has a six-month-old girl child.
The Collector spoke to Mr. Chennaiah, who was in Kullur village in Rajupalem mandal in Kadapa District, over telephone from the hospital. Mr. Chennaiah told the Collector that his sister and brother-in-law, fell off their motorcycle and his injured sister was admitted to the intensive care unit in Omni Hospitals on August 16. Doctors Balaji Naik, Asif Jafri and Roop Kumar treated Sivarthamma for three days and shifted her to the general ward stating that she was recovering, Mr. Chennaiah said.
Mr. Chennaiah asserted that he and relatives noticed change in her eyes and limbs on August 24 night and informed nurses, who requisitioned for a doctor, but Suvarthamma died before the doctor arrived. A doctor came and took the deceased Suvarthamma into the ICU, claimed to have treated her and informed about her death at 2 p.m. on August 25. Meanwhile, the hospital staff collected a amount of Rs. 1.10 lakh from him, Mr. Chennaiah said.
When he and relatives questioned doctors, they said that she died due to a heart ailment. As the hospital management evaded a reply, the body was taken home, he said.
The Collector directed the DMHO to take possession of the original case sheets and records pertaining to Suvarthamma’s treatment and submit a repliminary report on Sunday. A committee headed by Joint Collector would inquire into the issue and submit a report within a week, Mr. Vijaya Mohan said. The panel would enquire with the doctors on the treatment given.
Mr. Vijaya Mohan directed Superintendent of Police A. Ravikrishna to inquire why no FIR was filed in an accident case. The district administration would launch a drive to verify the facilities and treatment modes in all the private hospitals, the Collector added. The hospital authorities were not available for comment.
