Panel to probe kidney extraction

Kathmandu, July 10

The Health Ministry has formed a high level committee to probe the Manmohan Medical College incident. The probe team is headed by Dr Pushpa Chaudhary, chief specialist at the ministry.

The family and relatives of Shiva Prasad Rimal from Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot, have been protesting against Manmohan Medical College, arguing that the doctors involved in operation took out a kidney, so the victim should be provided justice.

The ministry formed a probe panel after lawmakers demanded it at the Legislature-Parliament meeting last Friday.

Thirty-two–year old Rimal was admitted to the hospital on June 5. He underwent surgery three days later.

The family and relatives have complained that the hospital did not inform them in the beginning about the need to extract the kidney but made agreement post-operation to conceal the blunder.

The hospital administration has already clarified through a press conference that the patient’s kidney had to be extracted to prevent excessive bleeding during surgery.

Hospital director Dr Dharma Raj Subedi said the patient’s kidney was taken out with the consent of his family, adding that now they were being greedy and blaming the hospital.

The hospital administration had reached a six-point agreement with the patient’s relatives after it took out the kidney while operating on him to remove gall stone. However, the patient and his relatives have sought Rs 5 million in compensation.

Although internal blood haemorrhage was cited as reason for removing the kidney, the six-point agreement between the hospital and the patient’s relatives states that the patient would be provided kidney transplant.