KDMC Forms Probe Panel Over Alleged Pregnancy Test On Minor At Shastrinagar Hospital

Kalyan: The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has constituted a three-member inquiry committee following allegations that doctors at the municipal-run Shastrinagar Hospital conducted a pregnancy test on a minor girl without obtaining her parents' consent.

BJP Corporator Raises Issue, Civic Body Initiates Investigation

The controversy came to light after BJP corporator Deepesh Mhatre demanded an investigation into the incident. Acting on the request, KDMC Deputy Commissioner (Medical and Health) Prasad Borkar ordered the formation of a committee to examine all aspects of the case.

The inquiry committee comprises KDMC Medical Health Officer Dr Deepa Shukla, Chief Medical Officer of Shastrinagar Hospital Dr Sadiya Pinjari, and Chief Medical Officer of Vasant Valley Maternity Home Dr Sapna Ramole.

Panel Asked To Submit Report To Municipal Commissioner Within Seven Days

According to the order issued by the deputy commissioner, the committee has been directed to conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy test and submit a compliance report to the Municipal Commissioner within seven days.

Hospital records indicate that the girl was admitted for medical examination following which a pregnancy test was conducted. The initial test reportedly returned a positive result. Subsequently, two additional tests were carried out at the municipal hospital both of which also reportedly showed positive results.

Medical Department To Review Testing Process And Conflicting Results

However when two separate tests were later conducted at a private laboratory both reports came back negative creating confusion and raising serious questions about the accuracy and reliability of the test results.

A senior official from the medical department said that the committee would examine the entire sequence of events, including the girl's admission the decision to conduct the pregnancy test, the procedures followed by hospital staff and the contradictory reports generated by the municipal hospital and the private laboratory.

Corporator Demands Detailed Probe After Raising Matter With Officials

Following the conflicting results the girl's parents lodged a formal complaint with the municipal administration, questioning the reliability of the tests conducted at the municipal hospital.

After learning about the case BJP corporator Deepesh Mhatre informed the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner and demanded a comprehensive probe into the matter.

Inquiry To Determine Cause Of Discrepancy Between Test Results

The incident has triggered a wider debate over the credibility of diagnostic procedures followed by both the municipal healthcare system and the private laboratory involved in the case.

Questions have been raised about whether there was a technical flaw in the municipal hospital's testing mechanism or whether the discrepancy originated at the private laboratory. Municipal authorities have stated that an impartial inquiry is necessary to establish the facts and eliminate any ambiguity surrounding the case.

Authorities Say Consent Would Have Been Taken If Patient Was Minor

Meanwhile, the administration of Shastrinagar Hospital has defended its actions, stating that the girl's age had been recorded as 18 years in the hospital's admission register.

Hospital authorities maintained that since the patient was documented as an adult, there was no requirement to obtain parental consent before conducting the pregnancy test. They further clarified that if the girl had been identified as a minor, the hospital would have sought the consent of her parents before proceeding with the examination.

However Mhatre has challenged the hospital's version of events insisting that the girl was in fact a minor.

He further claimed that doctors had informed the local police before conducting the pregnancy-related examination suggesting that the medical staff may have been aware of the girl's actual age. Mhatre said he possessed concrete information supporting this claim.

The findings of the inquiry committee are now expected to determine whether established medical protocols were followed, whether the patient's age was incorrectly recorded, and why contradictory pregnancy test reports were generated.

The committee's report is likely to provide greater clarity on the circumstances that led to the controversy and determine whether any procedural lapses occurred during the handling of the case.

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