BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will now list hospitals that will be dedicated for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cases in the third wave depending upon the audit report of all the deaths which have occurred in the second wave (from February 11 to July 6). It will ascertain the actual cause of death and whether negligence was on the part of the patient or the hospital where the patient was admitted for treatment.
According to the data, 4,161 people have succumbed to the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus since the second wave started in the city between February 11 and July 6.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, said the main motive to conduct the audit of COVID-19 deaths is to understand whether the death occurred due to medical negligence or on the part of the patient. Most of the time, patients seek treatment at private COVID-19 hospitals. When they run out of the cash, they are shifted to civic- or government-run hospitals in a bad condition. Then, it becomes difficult to save them.
“We have sought the complete health history from the death audit committee of each death that took place in the second wave. The report submitted by the committee will help us to know the actual cause of death and we will also know on whose part there was negligence. If the reports suggested that the negligence was on the part of the hospital then we will take a call on whether the respective hospital should be a dedicated COVID-19 or not in the third wave,” he said.
Senior doctors from civic-run hospitals have welcomed this move. “We have come across several cases where patients have been shifted from a private hospital to a civic-run hospital in a critical condition. We have faced the brunt of the family members as they think we are not giving proper treatment. This move by the civic body will help all of us know whether it was medical negligence or a patient delayed in taking treatment,” said a doctor.
