Doctor rules out negligence at GMC

PANJIM, JULY 30
The post mortem on Raveena Rodrigues, a 16-year-old girl who died in Goa Medical College (GMC) on July 29, a fortnight after she was admitted, was conducted on Friday.
The girl was admitted in GMC after she underwent appendisectomy at a private hospital in Vasco earlier this month.
The girl was apparently brought to GMC when she developed complications while she was undergoing treatment at Vasco hospital but her case was not registered as medico legal case when she was admitted in GMC.
The girl’s family had filed a police complaint at Vasco police station yesterday alleging negligence by doctors.
A senior doctor who did not wish to be named, said when any patient is brought to GMC in unconscious state or in critical condition from other hospital, the case has to be registered as medico legal case.
But it was not done in this case because one of the senior most surgeon attached to GMC who also has “thriving” private practice had operated the girl at the private hospital and as a result, when she was brought to GMC it was not reported as medico legal case, said the source.
After she was shifted to the GMC, her family was informed that she would have to be operated again. When contacted Dr Rajesh Patil, Unit IV head, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, GMC said patient was brought to GMC as her condition deteriorated.
“Patient was admitted in GMC and was urgently operated by surgeons on duty within one and half hour of admission,” said Dr Patil.
But three days after operation, patient started developing respiratory complications of Artificial Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and was shifted to ICU for the same.
“Her renal and respiratory parameters started worsening. There was no negligence on the part of GMC doctors at any stage.
Inspite of best intensive supportive care given to the patient in the ICU, she expired on July 29, 2010,” said Dr Patil.