A doctor in Ulhasnagar, a suburb of Mumbai, is under investigation after mistakenly declaring a 64-year-old man dead. The incident occurred on June 12th when Abhiman Girdhar Tayade, suffering from diabetes, jaundice and other ailments, was brought unconscious to Shivneri Hospital.
Dr. Prabhu Ahuja, a senior surgeon at the hospital, examined Tayade in the auto-rickshaw as he could not be shifted to the OPD. According to reports, Dr. Ahuja couldn't find a pulse and observed foaming at the mouth. He declared Tayade dead and issued a death certificate at the family's request. The family then took Tayade home to begin preparations for his funeral.
However, just before the funeral rites were to commence, relatives noticed movement in Tayade's abdomen and detected a faint heartbeat. Shocked and relieved, the family rushed him to Criticare Hospital in Ulhasnagar, where he was admitted to the ICU. Within thirty minutes, Tayade regained consciousness.
The incident has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about medical negligence. The health department of Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) has taken suo moto action and issued a notice to Dr. Ahuja, demanding an explanation for the misdeclaration. Dr. Mohini Dharma, a health officer, stated that if the doctor's response is unsatisfactory, a committee will be formed to investigate the matter further. If Dr. Ahuja is found guilty of negligence, his medical license could be revoked.
Dr. Ahuja has since clarified the situation, stating that when the relatives brought the patient in, he was unconscious, and there were no audible heart sounds or breathing. He attributed the error to the loud noise from nearby construction work, which made it difficult to hear properly. He also stated that he had advised the family to take Tayade to a hospital equipped with a ventilator.
Tayade's son, Sachin, visited Dr. Ahuja's hospital, and asked him to provide a death certificate for his father's death which Ahuja prepared and gave him, seemingly to expose the error.
This incident is not the first of its kind. In 2013, a doctor in Mumbai was arrested for declaring a living man dead. Similarly, there have been other instances where patients have been wrongly declared dead, only to be found alive later, highlighting potential flaws in the procedures for confirming death and raising concerns about the quality of care in some medical facilities.
The investigation into Dr. Ahuja's conduct is ongoing. The outcome could have significant implications for the doctor's career and serve as a reminder to medical professionals to exercise utmost care and diligence when making critical assessments about a patient's condition. The incident also underscores the importance of families seeking second opinions and advocating for their loved ones' health.
