9 doctors, 2 nurses of Max Hospital get notice over newborn death case

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Medical Council has issued notices to nine doctors and two nurses of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh in connection with medical negligence of case of a newborn who was falsely declared dead.

The council has asked the doctors and nurses to file a reply within 15 days. 

The Delhi government has cancelled the license of the 250-bedded health institution's after its doctors on November 30 declared a newborn premature baby as dead even though he was alive.

The super speciality hospital has appealed to the authorities concerned to revoke cancellation of their licence. The hospitals had said in its appeal that the cancellation of licence had caused significant inconvenience to thousands of patients and local residents who did not have suitable alternatives for their medical needs in the vicinity. 

"Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh on a monthly basis treats around 14,000 patients in the OPD, attends to over 1,600 emergency patients and additional 3,000 are treated in in-patient wards. In compliance of the cancellation order, not only did we have to turn down the OPD and new IPD (cases), but planned procedures such as 171 chemotherapies, 63 surgeries and 241 dialysis sessions had to be cancelled, rescheduled or transferred," the hospital had said. 

The 22-week premature baby boy was declared dead by the hospital on November 30 and handed over to the parents in a plastic bag, along with his still-born sister. 
However, the baby showed physical movements while being taken for burial. The baby was then admitted in north Delhi's Agarwal Nursing Home but died on December 6.