Seven days ago,Suman was declared a free patient in the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,(PGIMER),Chandigarh. But the UT Administration is yet to decide whether her family will be reimbursed for the expenses incurred on her treatment for two weeks after she was transfused wrong blood type at the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital,(GMSH),Sector 16. Sumans family claim they have spent approximately Rs 30,000 on her treatment after she was transfused the wrong blood type on December 16. Her kidneys were damaged due to the transfusion and after Suman was shifted to PGI,we spent Rs 30,000 on her treatment, said her husband Desh Raj. I had to borrow money to meet her medical expenses till a week ago,when she was finally covered under the free patient category. Suman has undergone dialysis thrice. Desh Raj,a daily wage labourer,said: The administration should have helped me as we are suffering due to the fault of GMSH doctors. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vinod Kavle,who held a magisterial probe which indicted two doctors and a lab technician of GMSH for gross negligence which caused the death of Sumans nine-months old foetus on December 16,had also recommended the reimbursement. As the GMSH officials are responsible for Sumans condition,I had recommended the reimbursement, Kavle said. Kavle submitted the inquiry report to the UT Administration on January 3,in which he also recommended the registration of a criminal case against house surgeon Dr Manpreet,intern Dr Navdeep and lab technician Kirti Sood for causing death due to negligence. The report has been sent for legal opinion and the UT officials are yet to register any case. The UT Administration said they are yet to take a decision on reimbursements. We will see how to help the family, said Secretary (Health) Ram Niwas. Suman was declared a free patient after the PGIMER considered her a special case and no money is being charged for most medicines,tests and food.
