Following the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), the Delhi government has paid Rs.1 lakh to the next of kin of a 17-year-old who died in the premises of the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital due to medical negligence.
According to the NHRC report, the city government had compensated the next of kin of Jeetram, who died Aug 1, 2011, after lying in the ambulance in the premises of the LNJP Hospital for two hours due to non-availability of a ventilator.
He was taken to the LNJP hospital in a serious condition after being referred by a city hospital.
Taking cognizance of the incident, the NHRC had stated that it is apparent that the medical officer in the emergency department of LNJP Hospital showed gross insensitivity towards the serious patient referred by another hospital of Delhi Government and failed to respond to the request of the junior resident doctor accompanying the patient.
The Commission held that it was a clear case of medical negligence involving violation of human rights of Jeetram.
"Such incidents of referral of serious patients from peripheral hospitals to LNJP Hospital and other Tertiary Care Centres is a common practice because of non-availability of ICU and super-specialty services," the NHRC report stated.