The family of a 93-year-old man, who died at Max Hospital, Saket, has alleged that a delay in treatment led to his death, a claim denied by the hospital.
The family has written to the Prime Minister and the Delhi Chief Minister seeking an investigation.
In his letter, Viney K. Joshi, the son of the deceased, called the hospital’s conduct “unethical” and “unprofessional”.
“He died due to them [Max Hospital team] and I will fight against them so that no one else will have to face this,” Mr. Joshi, who works as a doctor in Australia, told The Hindu .
When contacted, Max Hospital said in a statement that the patient was attended to by a team of very senior doctors, including a cardiologist, a neurologist and a neurosurgeon, along with critical care specialists. “We strongly refute allegations of delay in the treatment,” the hospital added.
Mr. Joshi said his father was brought to the hospital around 5 p.m. on December 31, after he suffered a stroke, but he was not operated upon till about midnight, therefore “wasting crucial time”. “Time wasted here was directly responsible for his ultimate demise. Time is of the essence in managing a stroke,” he said.
Responding to Mr. Joshi’s concerns, Max Hospital said, “The patient with known complications of chronic kidney disease, cardiac issues, hypertension, diabetes and poor lung condition, was rushed to the hospital’s ER on December 31 evening in an unconscious state and was immediately intubated and put on ventilator support.”
The hospital said all necessary scans were run in less than an hour after the patient’s arrival and he was found to have massive bleeding in his brain stem. “Post anaesthesia clearance, the patient was wheeled into the OT to carry out a procedure to release pressure in the brain,” it said.
In the letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Joshi pointed out, “How many more people have to die like this before some accountability is laid at the foot of these corporate giants who behave in an unethical, unprofessional and condescending manner?”
The hospital said that the deceased's family was explained about his extremely poor prognosis and they consented to the procedure, which took place on December 31, the day he was admitted. “The elderly patient suffered a cardiac arrest on January 2 and could not be revived despite best efforts,” it added.
