Harda private doctor held responsible for newborn baby death; faces action

Mukesh Pandey

NewsBits.in

HARDA: A retired government doctor, now practicing privately, has been held responsible for the death of an infant from Harda city by the local sub-divisional magistrate (ADM) court.

The practice of the medico, Dr Ravi Garg, might be suspended temporarily, chief medical and health officer (CMHO) of Harda, RC Udenia has told NewsBits.in.

The ADM court, after holding Dr Garg responsible, has directed the CMHO to take appropriate action in the matter.

On the basis of inquiry report by the CMHO, The ADM court held that ‘the doctor did not provide medical care to the infant with required alertness’. Also the doctor relied on the prescription of another doctor to decide to infuse blood to the infant that might have caused its death.

The CMHO report pointed out that the decision to infuse blood to the infant was wrong and possible infection was a likely cause of the death of the infant, one and half month old son of Iqbal Khan of Doodh diary locality.

The CMHO report highlighted that the infant mortality rate of MP is 63 per 1000 live births and in such situation the negligent attitude of the doctor in case of an infant was totally uncalled for. The CMHO recommended action on the doctor.

On basis of the report, the ADM court has also held the role of in-charge of government blood bank in district, Dr Ruby Khan as negligent and suspicious. Dr Khan had got the blood grouped and matched by a laboratory technician.

The infant had died on June 15 this year while being taken to Bhopal for treatment. Earlier on June 14, Dr Garg has checked the infant and prescribed some common medicine.

When the ailment persisted and the family took the baby to Dr Garg again on June 15, he recommended blood infusion on basis of some old prescriptions of another doctor.

After the blood (taken from government blood bank) was infused at a private hospital, the baby’s condition worsened. The family contacted Dr Garg again, but he suggested that the baby be taken to the district hospital for intensive care.

The district hospital doctors further referred the child to Bhopal, but it succumbed on the way. The family had got a case of negligence registered against the doctor at the Kotwali police station. Postmortem was also conducted on the infant.