Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 11:

Two doctors of the Norvic-Escorts International Hospital (NEIH) — Dr Bharat Rawat and Dr Rajiv Pande — have been accused of negligence that resulted in the death of a patient, Laxmi Shrestha of Bishnu VDC, Budhanilkantha. “I was taking Laxmi to Bahrain on May 9 and visited NEIH May 7, where she underwent an ECG-test. Dr Pande prepared the report and Dr Rawat checked it. Both sent her home saying she was fine,” said the deceased husband Pancha Narayan Shrestha, addressing a press meet today. According to Pancha, Laxmi fainted later in the afternoon and was rushed to Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre (SGNHC), where the doctors said the NEIH report, if looked into closely, showed a certain blockage in her heart. But at that time, half of Laxmi’s body was already paralysed and she could not even speak.

“We were referred to Medicare for a CT scan. The report showed that a blood clot from the heart had passed on to the brain and that 40 per cent of her brain cells had died due to the blockage,” said Pancha. “She passed died in the evening at SGNHC.” Pancha said Laxmi had undergone a cardiac procedure called ballooning in NEIH and had been operated by two doctors from SGNHC on March 5. Thereafter, she had been going for regular follow-up checks. “I thought it would be best for her to get a thorough check-up before we left for Bahrain,” said Pancha. “The doctors should have looked into the documents properly... then perhaps Laxmi could have been saved.”

When contacted, Dr Rawat said he was extremely sorry about the death of the patient, but added family members had been “misguided” on the fact that the doctors were to blame for her death. “After a cardiac operation, one can never have had a normal report,” said Dr Rawat, talking to this daily. “However, the ECG report did not show anything that was grossly wrong with her.” Another doctor from Medicare Hospital, who was part of the team that examined the patient, said Laxmi had been advised to take the medications prescribed to reduce chances of blood clots. “It works in 99.9 per cent of the cases, but Laxmi happened to fall in the 0.1 per cent,” he said on condition of anonymity. “Looking at the reports and the course of treatment, I do not see any fault on the part of the doctors.” He added whatever happened was “inevitable” and that it was unfair to hold the doctors reponsible.