PUNE DOCTOR CHARGED WITH MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE AFTER A WOMAN DIED OF PNEUMONIA DURING TREATMENT UNDER HIM

Recently, a woman died of pneumonia during treatment under a doctor in 2018. The husband of the deceased, Santosh Bhagwat filed a complaint against Dr Pradip Patil, who is currently absconding. The Wakad Police have booked the doctor for medical negligence. As per the law, a medical practitioner cannot be booked unless he/she is found guilty by a medical committee. The Sassoon medical committee held an investigation and submitted a detailed report holding the accused guilty. 

The deceased, Manjusha Pingle, aged 42, was taken to a hospital in 2018 for a cold, fever and cough. She was given antibiotics for three days and even after completion of the course, her condition did not improve. The complainant then consulted Patil at the Lifeline Hospital in September 2018. The accused found that the deceased had a low blood platelet count and therefore suggested medicines for three days. The deceased showed no improvement and therefore, the doctor re-administered the drug.

The complainant then took his wife to Aditya Birla hospital,  where a doctor detected 50 per cent pneumonia on one side and 75 per cent on the other side through X-ray. On September 4, Manjusha's health started deteriorating and breathed her last in the Aditya Birla Hospital’s ICU.

The complainant registered a case against the accused u/s 304 (a) (causing death by negligence) of the IPC. As per the complainant, he took  Manjusha to Patil for treatment and even after the blood test, Patil was unable to detect the root cause, he could have sent us to another hospital.  

The Police claimed that they registered a case against the accused basis on the detailed report of the Sassoon Committee, which clearly stated that Patil did not give her proper treatment.