Kanpur Hospital Declares Living Patient Dead, Sends Him For Post Mortem

Three staff members of Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur, including a junior resident doctor and a nurse, were suspended after a living patient was erroneously declared dead on paper, prompting the initiation of post-mortem formalities, an official said.

The mistake came to light on Saturday evening when police personnel arrived at the Medicine Ward to shift the body to the mortuary, only to find the patient alive, Sanjay Kala, principal of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College, under which the hospital is run, told PTI.

"A three-member inquiry committee has been constituted to probe the incident. The committee -- consisting of vice-principal Richa Agarwal, chief medical superintendent Saurabh Agarwal and superintendent-in-charge Rakesh Singh -- has been directed to submit a fact-finding report within 48 hours. Strict action will be taken based on the findings," Kala said.

According to the principal, two destitute patients were admitted on adjacent beds in Medicine Ward Number 12 -- Vinod (42) on bed number 42, and an unidentified elderly man aged around 60 years on bed number 43.

The elderly patient died during treatment on Saturday. However, the junior doctor allegedly filled out Vinod's medical file, officially declared him dead.

Soon, an intimation was sent to the Swaroop Nagar police station for post-mortem procedures. When police arrived to shift the body, they were stunned to find Vinod alive.

The revelation triggered panic in the hospital. Senior officials, including Superintendent-in-Charge Rakesh Singh and Principal Sanjay Kala, rushed to the ward. The erring junior doctor later admitted the mistake and apologised, according to an official.

Confirming the lapse, Singh said the error was caused by incorrect documentation. "The junior doctor mistakenly filled out the file of the wrong patient. The records were corrected and sent to the police again," he said.

Police said Vinod's relatives were contacted using a phone number found in his medical records. They arrived, and after seeing him alive, they left shortly thereafter, said another official.

According to Govind Nagar Station House Officer Rikesh Kumar Singh, the unidentified elderly man was found unconscious about five days ago and admitted to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital after the police failed to establish his identity.

The man, who was suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, died during treatment. His body has since been sent for post-mortem, the SHO said.

Hospital authorities said Vinod is stable. His relatives were advised to stay with him and take him home once his condition improves, but they allegedly refused, citing a lack of arrangements, and later disappeared from the hospital, they said.

He is undergoing treatment at the hospital, Singh said.

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