Key Takeaways:
- Three-member committee formed under Ministry of Social Development, led by Dr Manish Acharya
- 33-year-old Sangita Badu died on Bhadra 5 while on ventilator treatment for snakebite
- Family alleges medical negligence, refusing to receive the body for five days
- Committee given seven days to submit report, expected to determine if negligence occurred
The Sudurpaschim provincial government has formed a three-member committee to investigate the death of a woman during snakebite treatment at Mahakali Provincial Hospital in Kanchanpur.
The panel was formed through a ministerial decision of the Ministry of Social Development, coordinated by Dr Manish Acharya of Tikapur Hospital. The ministry's legal officer Dan Bahadur Sunar and a representative from the Kanchanpur District Administration Office are members. The committee has been given seven days to investigate and submit its report.
Committee member Sunar said the team would begin its work in Mahendranagar from Wednesday.
The case involves Sangita Badu, 33, of Sukasal in Bhimdatta Municipality-10, who died on Friday while undergoing treatment. She had been admitted on Bhadra 5 after being bitten by a snake and was receiving treatment on a ventilator.
Her family has alleged medical negligence led to her death despite timely admission. They have refused to receive her body for the past five days, demanding an investigation and action against those responsible. The body remains in the hospital morgue.
Family members continued to refuse to receive the body even after the inquiry committee was formed. Jyoti Badu, the deceased's sister, said the family was pressured to take the body during a discussion at the District Administration Office on Tuesday. "We have not decided to receive the body yet. We will see how the committee works," she said.
The hospital administration and the victim's family had earlier held discussions over the incident. The committee's report is expected to establish whether medical negligence occurred during treatment.