Calcutta, July 31: A Howrah nursing home, attacked by relatives of a dead patient for alleged negligence, has paid them money citing “humanitarian grounds”.

Authorities at the at G. Basu Nursing Home in Ramrajatala denied the negligence charge but admitted to paying the patients’ family Rs 40,000 on “grounds of sympathy’.

The nursing home has promised to pay another Rs 1 lakh by Monday, said Siddhartha Bhaduri, husband of the patient, Kumkum, 36.

“The patient had developed inflammation of the peritoneum — a membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity — after a successful surgery during which a tumour was removed from her uterus,” said G. Basu, the hospital director.

“There was no negligence by our staff but we are paying a compensation on humanitarian grounds,” he said.

Kumkum was admitted to the nursing home on July 17 with abdominal pain. Arghya Mitra, a doctor attached to the nursing home, had earlier diagnosed her with tumour in the uterus, said Siddhartha.

On July 18, she underwent surgery done by Basu and Mitra. Siddhartha said his wife never recovered from it.

“When she complained of giddiness the first two days, I thought it was normal but her condition worsened day by day. She lost her speech on the fifth day after surgery.”

Yesterday morning, when her condition became critical, the hospital decided to shift her to Peoples’ Nursing Home in Shibpur for an emergency operation, Siddhartha said.

“Things began to get out of hand when People’s Nursing Home refused to admit her as her condition was very serious.” She was taken to Westbank Hospital in Andul, where she died around 9.30pm.

Kumkum’s relatives attacked the G. Basu Nursing Home today, but left when they were given the money.