DCW issues notice to medical council

NEWDELHI: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) for letting off a doctor with only a “warning” for allegedly “causing damage” to a two-yearyear-old during treatment and rendering her disabled.

The DCW, on Tuesday, said the hospital’s action was a “serious offence” and that action must be taken against the concerned persons. The commission has sought an action-taken report in the matter from the DMC by February 12.

In a statement, DCW said the child’s father, in his complaint, had alleged “gross medical negligence” by Department of Orthopaedics, Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, east Delhi, which had allegedly left his daughter physically-disabled. The child had been admitted to the hospital after she had hurt herself and suffered hip bone dislocation. The complainant had alleged that the doctors plastered the other hip bone, rendering both her legs disabled, the DCW said. “The commission had last month sought an enquiry report from the Council in the matter in which the hospital responded that one of their doctors was found guilty of medical negligence while another was found negligent in record keeping and that warning has been given to the former,” it said.

Swati Maliwal, DCW chairperson, said, “The commission demands stringent action against the two doctors including suspension of their license and registration of FIR against them. We are also writing to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority seeking compensation for the family.”

Dr Girish Tyagi, Secretary, DMC, said, “This was a case of misdiagnosis where a hip dislocation was diagnosed as a hip fracture, resulting in delay of treatment. The decision to give a warning was taken by a disciplinary committee with experts from the field, which was later ratified by the general council. If the aggrieved family is unhappy with this, they may approach the Medical Council of India.”