B. M. Birla Heart Research Center, Kolkata — Md. Sahab Uddin- Death incident on 22nd Feb'15 (Fully Dissatisfy with the treatment at hospital like B.M.Birla)

Address: Kolkata, West Bengal

Dear Sir, I Md. Imtiaz Uddin, would like to share my experience in getting my father Md. Sahab Uddin, Age-78 years treated for open heart surgery at B.M.BIRLA HEART RESEARCH CENTER, KOLKATA. My father who was a known patient of COPD was hospitalized at B M Birla Heart Research Center – Kolkata on 11th Feb’15 and was declared dead on 22nd Feb’15 at the same hospital. Below are details of this period. 1. On 11th February 2015 my father was hospitalized at B M Birla hospital, under Dr. T Praharaj with complaints of chest pain and SOB. 2. After admission my father started coughing on 13th February 2015. 3. On 16th February 2015 my father went through CABG by Dr. L Kapoor as per the treatment decided, with coughing problem not recovered. 4. On 17th February 2015, when my father gained consciousness, he started with mild cough and this became severe on 18th February 2015 onwards. 5. From 20th February 2015 onwards my father remained in semi-conscious stage and two stitches were removed to take out the bad fluid from chest as the healing was not progressing on the operated portion. 6. On 22nd of February 2015 morning, I was informed that my father’s kidneys (both) are not functioning since last 14 hours and consent to dialysis was agreed with me. 7. On 22nd February 2015 a second operation was conducted by Dr. Vinayak Chanda in absence of Dr. L Kapoor at about 10 AM without my consent. 8. On 22nd February 2015 at about 5:15PM my father was declared dead. During the above event I have following observations. 1. On realizing that part of medical expenses will be paid through mediclaim, I was forced to go for a higher package by the hospital authorities on 16th February 2015 just before CABG. Please refer doc 1, doc 2, doc 9, doc 10 and doc 11. 2. On repeated requests to attend my father’s coughing problems from 13th February Dr. Ranjan Das attended him after 20 hours approximately. 3. Knowing the fact that my father is a known COPD patient, a decision to conduct CABG was taken when my father was coughing severely. 4. After gaining consciousness on 17th Morning, when my father started coughing again there was no attention given to this. 5. On 18th Feb evening after repeated requests to all the doctors (L Kapoor & T Praharaj) Dr. R Das was put again into service. He attended my father on 20th February 2015 after 48 hours approximately and no improvement in the condition was seen, instead it worsened as my father started vomiting after change of medicines by Dr. Ranjan Das. Please refer doc 3 first part and doc 8. 6. On 22nd February 2015 after getting consent for dialysis at 8:30 AM, the nephrologist attended my father at 2:00 PM. In the meantime at around 10:00 AM, my father was operated for multiple fractures in the Sternum without informing me. However the X-ray reports should have been referred at regular intervals keeping in mind my father’s consistent coughing due to COPD since CABG done on 16th Feb. Please refer doc 3 second part, doc 4 and doc 5. 7. On realizing that my father is not getting good treatment at the hospital, I planned to shift my father to other hospital for better treatment. I cleared all the payments and I went to meet ITU Doctors at 1:30 PM to discuss the discharge timings. Dr. Chanda informed me that second operation is successful and my father cannot be shifted to other hospital due to surgery. 8. My father expired at about 3:30PM yet I was not communicated about the same, however during my visit at 4:45 PM in the visiting hours, I witnessed persons applying CPR to my father. On asking questions to the personnel performing CPR, I was told that my father has lost his heart rhythm 5 minutes earlier (4:40PM). During this time Dr. L Kapoor phone was switched off and Dr. V Chanda during a discussion from hospital telephone, informed that my father expired on 3:30PM. 9. Death summary given to me by hospital on 28th had several errors relating to age and date of death and was without page numbers on continuation sheets. Please refer the Doc 6 and Doc 7. From above account I would like to inform that, the hospital authorities have kept me in dark at several occasions about my father’s condition. They have neglected several facts about my father’s illness in pre and post-surgery stages. My father was not given proper treatment and he died as a result of negligence by doctors. I request you to take note of this case and initiate an enquiry into the negligence’s in treating my father by the doctors from B M Birla Hospital, Kolkata. It is also important to understand from this case is the way, the management is treating mediclaim cases. After this incident, I will never be able to trust any of the doctors, as they have become symbols of money laundering individuals and will consider this as an act of crime. My father will not return, but from the above explanation, I expect that what has happened with my father should not be repeated with anyone in future. Regards, Md. Imtiaz Uddin [protected]