Chandigarh/New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) Taking note of the death of a seven-year-old girl at Gurugram’s Fortis Hospital and the subsequent bill of Rs 18 lakh slapped on the family, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said a senior officer will investigate the case.

“No hospital will be allowed to play with the health and sentiments of the people in Haryana. Directions have been issued to officers to submit the report of their investigation, at the earliest, so as to take strict action against the guilty,” Vij said in a statement here.

Earlier in the day, Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan issued a letter to the Haryana Health Department to initiate a probe, calling for exemplary punishment if the hospital is found guilty.

Calling the death “unfortunate”, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Tuesday said the government had sought a detailed report from the hospital.

Stressing that action will be taken if required, Nadda said that his Ministry had written to all states regarding the registration and regulation of all clinical establishments with a view to prescribe the minimum standards of facilities and services.

“It was a very unfortunate incident. The Health Ministry has sought a medical report from Fortis Hospital and we will look into it. If required action will be taken,” Nadda said on the sidelines of a WHO conference.

The comments came after the parents of Adya, who died of dengue during treatment at the hospital, were allowed to take their daughter’s body only after paying a bill of Rs 18 lakh.

The parents alleged that the hospital kept their daughter on ventilator for three days though she had stopped responding to the treatment. The girl died on September 14.

As the information about this case went viral, the hospital issued a statement stating what had happened.

According to the hospital, Adya was brought to Gurgaon’s Fortis Memorial Research Institute from another private hospital on the morning of August 31.

“She was admitted with severe dengue which progressed to dengue shock syndrome and was managed on IV fluids and supportive treatment as there was a progressive fall in platelet count and hemoconcentration,” said the statement.

As her condition deteriorated, she was put on ventilator support within 48 hours, the hospital claimed.

It also says that an itemised bill spread over 20 pages was handed over to the family.

“An amount of Rs 5,21,433 was paid by the insurance and the balance was to be paid by the family of the child.

“The cost incurred was for 15-day stay, 14-day ventilator, non sterilised gloves, 750 pairs steriled gloves, 43 glove pairs and approximately 40 syringes used per day,” said the hospital.

–IANS
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