NEW DELHI: In a major operation, the Delhi Police claimed to have uncovered a disturbing medical racket involving a fake hospital operated by 'non-certified ' doctors. The crackdown led to the arrest of four individuals, including Dr Neeraj Agarwal, his wife Pooja Agarwal, Dr Jaspreet Singh, and former laboratory technician Mahender Singh. Shockingly, the arrests are linked to the deaths of two patients who underwent surgeries at a clinic in south Delhi.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The police investigation revealed a harrowing incident involving a patient named Asghar Ali, who was initially scheduled for gallbladder treatment under the care of Dr Jaspreet Singh. However, moments before the surgery, Dr Jaspreet was substituted by Pooja Agarwal and Mahendra Singh. Tragically, Ali, after experiencing severe pain post-surgery, succumbed to his injuries upon arrival at the Safdarjung Hospital.


Allegations Of Medical Malpractice


Families of the victims alleged that Dr Agarwal, who runs the Agarwal Medical Centre, and the three accomplices performed surgeries on vital organs without adhering to established medical protocols. Disturbingly, it was also alleged that Dr Agarwal, a physician, performs surgeries using fake documents. The investigation unveiled a history of nine complaints since 2016, with seven cases resulting in patient deaths due to medical negligence.


Probe By Medical Board


The investigation exposed Dr Agarwal's habitual falsification of documents related to patients' treatment and surgery. A medical board, convened on November 1, identified numerous shortcomings and deficiencies in the medical centre's operations. 


Shocking Revelations


During the search operation, the police seized 414 prescription slips, two registers detailing medical termination of pregnancy procedures, and unauthorized medications from the clinic. The recovered items include expired surgical blades, original prescription slips, chequebooks, ATM cards, passbooks, and credit card machines. The findings pointed to a web of illicit activities, raising concerns about patients' safety and the integrity of medical practices.


Sharing more information, DCP Chowdhury said, "Last year in September a complaint was received at GK Police Station by a woman that her husband was admitted to a medical care centre in GK for gallbladder stone removal. The patient died after a day. So, on the basis of the complaint, we did a preliminary inquiry. During this, some facts came before us that the surgery was not done by the actual surgeon but by some unauthorised persons who were not doctors...The investigation has been done since then and we received the cause of death recently. It clearly showed that the cause of death was due to excessive bleeding due to complications that arose during the surgery. We received a complaint of a similar incident this October too. We are inquiring into the matter and a very thorough investigation has been done...It was found that their medical equipment and OT were not as per standard SOP. Later, a house search was obtained from the court and we found several things in the search which were not justified..."


 



 


The Delhi Police's swift action has not only exposed a fraudulent medical establishment but also underscored the urgency of safeguarding the public from unscrupulous medical practitioners. Investigations are ongoing to ensure that justice is served to the victims and to prevent such egregious malpractices in the future.