DAYS AFTER the UP Health Department suspended the licence of the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Amethi following the death of a 22-year-old woman in a case of alleged medical negligence, BJP MP from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi on Friday expressed concern over the development and termed the action as “arbitrary”.
He also requested the state government to reconsider its decision, initiate an “impartial” inquiry and ensure that the hospital can continue functioning to provide critical healthcare services to the people of the state.
In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who holds portfolio of Medical Health, Gandhi wrote, “While acknowledging the gravity of the recent incident involving alleged medical negligence, it is essential to approach this matter with a sense of proportionality and fairness.
Tragic events can unfold in any healthcare facility, regardless of ownership. Suspending the entire hospital’s license without allowing for comprehensive, impartial investigation appears to be a rushed and potentially unjust course of action. Conducting a detailed root cause analysis (RCA) and implementing its findings across all hospitals, to eliminate any further incidents due to incumbent circumstances, would be appropriate.”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Gandhi said that in a state such as Uttar Pradesh which is both populous and poverty stricken, shutting down an existing institution which is serving the health needs of a large number of people in Amethi and surrounding districts, is an “arbitrary and disproportionate action.”
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“You cannot cancel the licence of a hospital which is more used than a district hospital in that particular area simply because of the negligent action of one doctor,” Gandhi said.
If there is no health architecture and you are shutting down existing institutions, it is not economically possible for the people of Amethi for every time of emergency to go to Prayagraj or go to Lucknow.
“This action is damaging to the poorest of the poor and nobody else,” Gandhi said and added, “There should be a proportionate response. The response cannot be ‘finish the hospital because one doctor may have performed a negligent action’. In this manner, there will be no hospital left in Uttar Pradesh. Because it happens everyday and more in government hospitals than in private trust hospitals,” Gandhi added that he has an “emotional attachment” to that hospital and Amethi but his plea was simply for justice.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
First published on: 23-09-2023 at 04:33 IST
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