Sir,

I have no option but to write this frustrating and painful experience of losing my father at the so called most reputable hospital i.e. Escorts – Fortis in the country. A huge chunk of public including celebrities/politicians might have been treated at the hospital successfully but unfortunately my family has been shocked on the way my father, Mr. Sudhir Kumar Kalra was treated and under the circumstances we lost him, due to a complete negligence of a Dr.Nishant Chaurasia and Dr.Sanjeev Srivastava at the hospital.

Hence I have decided to pen down this disastrous incident in my family to your notice.Initially I had been referred to the Chairman's office at Fortis to seek justice, I did try to meet up with Mr. Bhavdeep Singh – CEO/Operations but even Mr. Bhavdeep Singh was well not interested to meet up or to hear me out. After making numerous attempts some Singhal called me up and expressed that he can meet up with me. I clearly stated that I not interested to meet anybody besides the top management. I seek justice on this obnoxious treatment to my father, who lost his life. It could be possible that for ESCORTS-FORTIS this is one of case but this is a un-repairable loss for my me & my family & specially for my mother.

My father, who was a resident of Dehradun was admitted in a private hospital on 10th September’09 at about 9 p.m., complaining of unconsciousness since morning. On hospitalization, the cardiologist diagnosed that he had a low pulse rate and had a complete heart block. Though the doctor started with the treatment immediately but he did communicate that he would put my father under observation for the next 48 hours, before he could comment on the future course of action.

On 11th September ,He told me and my mother that my father has shown commendable improvement in just 24 hours ( for which the doctor was very happy ) and that he has been able to control my father’s pulse rate to normal by oral treatment only. He also said that he would like to retain the patient in the ICU for next few days as he was confident that he will be fine. He also shared with us that my father has been given a medical drip, which is helping the patient to control the pulse rate.

On 12th September afternoon, while I was at the hospital the doctor communicated that there was need to increase the Drips today to control my father’s pulse and would review the situation in the evening. Later in the evening at about 9 p.m. the doctor advised us that since he has not been to cure the patient orally he would advice us to take the patient to Delhi to get a pacemaker. Since he felt that Delhi hospitals had a better quality of Pacemakers, he referred us to take him to Kailash hospital in Noida and get a pacemaker done through a doctor who was a very well known cardiologist. Unfortunately I did not agree to the doctor and told him that I would choose to go to ESCORTS FORTIS hospital, since I considered it the best hospital in the country. The doctor provided us with the case summary and categorically told us that the drip is the lifesaver for my father & it needs to be there with him until the pacemaker is finally put in the patients body.

Within a span of next 1 hour we left Dehradun by hiring the best ICU Ambulance available in the city, so that my father is transited safely and comfortably to Delhi. My mother and I still remember last couple of hours which we had spend with my father while we travelled a distance of 250 kilometers in about 5 hours to Escorts Delhi. Let me share with you that my father was completely stable during the travel and his pulse rate was hovering around 65 @ minute for the entire night. In fact my father did not sleep the entire night and was chatting with us, not knowing that these were the last hours of his life. Must also highlight here the way medical assistant accompanying us in the ambulance took care of my father (he was much better than the doctors at Escorts) & he was so confident that my father was in a very good state and will definitely be fine within a week’s time, since we took the decision of going to Escorts. I had also asked brother ( who was in Delhi ) to reach the hospital at 3.30 a.m. in the morning to see if the arrangements for the bed were made or not and speak to the doctor as well.

Finally when we reached the Escorts hospital after all that speeding up on the highway & with the Sirens on, not realizing that I was making arrangements for my father’s death bed.

The moment we reached the hospital (my father/mother & myself ) at 4.30 a.m. on 13th September, 7 to 8 nurses came rushing out with a stretcher to move my father inside the hospital. They being extra proactive moved him immediately, removed his clothes and put him a medical gown, removed his silver chain.
By about 4.40 a.m. when we reached inside, we realized that the doctor was not there. On pushing for the doctor, a illiterate doctor called Dr. Nishant Chaurasia came in, who was half asleep and I could make out that he was coming in to duty after a nap during duty hours. He started enquiring about the history of the patient and I immediately shared with him the prescription of the doctor given from Dehradun and that the drip is imperative for the patient

Trust me sir, that he did not even bother to read that prescription/discharge summary and when I forced him to read that, he said that “ he knows his job” .

Meanwhile he handed me over the admission form and asked me to get the admission formalities done. He also asked me to send in my mother to understand the patient’s medical history.
In about next 15 minutes post getting the admission formalities done, when I got back to the I.C.U, I saw my father sitting on the bed and his chest was completely full of sweat. He was constantly saying that he is feeling suffocated and when we started looking for Nishant, who was again missing rather than attending the patient. We immediately realized that my father’s drip was missing ( WHICH WAS THE LIFELINE & HE MANAGED TO TRAVEL SAFELY FOR 250 KILOMETERS & WAS PERFECTLY FINE SINCE LAST TWO DAYS ). It was been removed by the bunch of these ruthless idiots !!!!

When we traced Nishant, he immediately pushed us out of the ICU and said that he would like to see the the patient & hence all attendants have to be out. This was at about 5.10 a.m., which was not even 45 minutes of reaching the hospital.
Within the next 5 minutes when we were outside the ICU, we saw that a couple of nurses rushing out to get Ventilator and other medical equipment & We immediately realized that there was some problem and something was wrong.

8. When we rushed in, we saw about 5 - 7 doctors and about 8 nurses surrounding the bed and giving hand massage on my father’s chest and he was lying unconscious. Any illiterate person could have made out that my father had passed away and the doctors have just realized their mistake … The doctors kept on constantly telling us that my father is still alive and they were trying to revive him but we knew the damage was done & we had no option but to regret that we came to Escorts – Fortis Prestigious !!!

At about 6 a.m., Nishant ( the attending doctor ) had the audacity to walk up to me with a sarcastic laugh & say that please sign the form for the insertion of “ARTIFICIAL PACE MAKER” for my father which I did not because I knew that my father was no more alive but the doctors just wanted to protect themselves legally. Finally the medical team decided to put the pace maker without any signatures.

The doctors did all kind of DRAMA to prove that they were saving the patient by Electric Shocks … Compounders & Nurses massaging instead of the doctors … Machine massagers which left ruthless marks on my father’s dead body …

Eventually Dr. Sameer Srivasatava arrived at the hospital at around 6.30 a.m. ( well dressed ) to explain us the medical reasoning involved in such case and ACCEPTED THAT HE WOULD TAKE NISHANTS PANT’s OFF DUE TO HIS MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE …

The doctors finally finished the so called drama of efforts, of reviving him back and gave it up at 8 a.m. when it had been about 45 minutes that the machine massagers were been put on the dead body and there was nobody from the hospital around the bed …
This treatment was given after Dr. Sameer Srivastava was personally called the previous night & I had requested him to take special care of my father…. WHAT A SPECIAL CARE HE HAS TAKEN… MUST SAY THAT …

At 8.30 a.m. we were asked to clear the bill of Rs 36,000 before we could have been handed over the body and within about 10 minutes, the same bill was waived off. In fact a advance payment of Rs 10,000, which was paid at the time of admission was also given back to keep our mouth shut .. Also we understood later that this has been done by the hospital to safeguard their own interest by making this as a expense free treatment so that the doctors cant be pulled to the court. If you wish I can even produce a copy of the bill which was made zero.


THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THEM TO KILL OUR SOULS


Its really unfortunate that the management of Escorts has treated my family in such a way that our wounds have in fact got deeper than before.

I had two rounds of meeting with Dr. Ashok Seth - Chairman for Cardiovascular sciences, Dr. Sameer Srivastava and Dr. Gupta - Medical superintendent of Escorts hospital.

My first meeting was with them to explain the case on 26th October'09. During my meeting with Dr. Seth he said that he would look into the case and will treat me as a son. It was a hour long meeting and he mentioned that he was quite amazed at the course of action adopted by the doctors. Dr. Srivasatava accepted that the negligence of a doctor lead to a death of my father & The meeting concluded as Dr.Seth asked me to come in on 3rd November again as he required a weeks time to do the enquiry of the case.

The meeting was rescheduled for 6th November and Dr. Seth asked me to get my mother also along with me. When we met, Dr. Seth shared with us that he has enquired the whole case and as the head of the department accepts that the doctor was negligent, though he has very smartly covered up the entire medical file. Dr. Srivastava also accepted that the loss is unrepairable and they have decided that Nishant Chaurasia, will be thrown out of the job. Finally, Dr. Gupta communicated to us that he would be discussing the same internally and will share with me the copy of the termination letter of the doctor within a weeks time. When we asked for the letter at very moment , Dr. Seth mentioned that his role was to investigate the case and take a decision and the relevant action can only be taken by the administrative department.

Ever since I have been following up with Dr. Gupta on the copy of that letter and he has been giving me different stories that since Singhal is travelling, they have not been able to give me a concrete response. Dr. Gupta finally did respond and said that Singhal has decided not to throw out the doctor and I can not be helped in case any more.

THAT'S THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE DOCTORS OF ESCORTS, MY BELIEVE IS NOW EVEN STRONGER............. THAT ESCORTS IS A RUTHLESS BUSINESS INSTITUTION & I DEFINITELY NEED TO FIGURE OUT, HOW TO ENSURE THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH OTHER PEOPLE ....

MY FAMILY NEEDS JUSTICE & WANTS TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOES NOT REPEAT WITH OTHERS AS WELL ! THIS IS A SOCIAL OFFENCE WHICH THE DOCTORS HAVE DONE !! THEY HAVE GIVEN A WOUND TO MY FAMILY WHICH WILL NEVER HEAL & WE WILL ALWAYS REGRET THAT WE DECIDE TO COME TO ESCORTS – FORTIS !!


+91 0135 2745897
+919719050969

Mrs. Sneh Lata Kalra
Shivan Kalra
Ankit Dev Kalra
4 EAST CANAL ROAD,
DEHRA DUN -248001
UTTRANCHAL