Bhubaneswar, Jan. 24: Tension gripped the Capital Hospital today following the death of a patient, allegedly due to the negligence of a doctor.
The patient died at the ICU today morning.
Gunadhar Khatei, 74, from Ganga Nagar, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday and was diagnosed with pneumonia and cardiac disease. He also had asthma and was shifted to the ICU late night after his condition deteriorated at the inpatient department.
The patient's attendants alleged the doctor shifted Khatei to the ICU late on Saturday night and left him unattended till 8am today. He passed away at 9:30am.
"My husband's condition was critical. We had shifted him to the ICU as per the doctor's advice. However, till today morning he was left unattended, which led to his death. How can they leave a critical patient without any attending doctors," said the wife of the deceased, Manorama Khatei.
The relatives of the deceased have demanded stringent action against the doctor. "We demand strict action for the murder of my husband. They are not doctors but devils in disguise," Manorama said.
The director of Capital Hospital, Biswa Bhushan Pattnaik, admitted there was a serious lapse.
"Doctors should not leave a patient unattended when he or she is admitted to the ICU. According to my information, the doctor left him while the patient was in a critical condition. This is sheer negligence," said Pattnaik.
Pattnaik further said a probe had been ordered. "I have already ordered an investigation. Stringent action will be initiated against the guilty," he said.
Such incidents of negligence are nothing new at the Capital Hospital, which according to a few hospital administrators occur due to severe shortage of doctors.
"The hospital has an acute shortage of staff members. One doctor usually attends to more than 20 patients a day. It becomes difficult for them to handle the pressure," said an administrative officer of the hospital, on request of anonymity.