Barely a month after the Delhi government revoked the license of Max hospital in Shalimar Bagh where a newborn was wrongly declared dead but later found alive, the hospital is set to resume its operations today after obtaining a stay order by appropriate appellate authority, to whom they made an appeal against cancellation of license.
Just two weeks ago, a three-member inquiry panel of the AAP government submitted its final report to health minister Satyendar Jain, who described the incident as "not acceptable" and cancelled the license of the hospital till further order.
In the order issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the keeper of the hospital had also been directed to "refrain from admitting any new indoor patient and stop all outdoor treatment service in the premises with immediate effect".
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Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had then said, "open loot or criminal negligence" by any hospital will not be tolerated.
"Whereas we don't wish to interfere in day to day functioning of pvt hospitals, however, open loot or criminal negligence by any hospital won't be tolerated. We won't hesitate to take strongest action in such cases (sic)," he tweeted.
Earlier, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Jain said the government will not tolerate "criminal negligence", while terming the upscale private as a "habitual offender".
"Max Hospital is a habitual offender and three notices were served earlier to it. And, it has been found guilty in those cases too.
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"Three notices had been issued to the hospital over lapses involving the EWS (extremely weaker section) quota patients and dengue fever beds. The action taken is in continuation of effect of previous notices," he had said.
"The (Max) hospital cannot admit and treat new patients, which means the the hospital's billing function is not active now. They continue to treat admitted patients," Jain said.
Asked about the doctors' negligence in the twin baby case, the health minister said the Delhi Medical Council and the Medical Council of India are competent authorities to take action against doctors.
The DGHS in its order also said that "indoor patients admitted prior to the issue of this cancellation order shall be given a choice by the keeper of he hospital to continue their indoor treatment in your (Max) hospital or to be transferred/shifted to another hospital of their choice."
The Max Hospital case pertains to one of the premature twins, wrongly declared dead at the hospital where he was born, and who died during treatment at a nursing home in Pitampura a week later.
Both the babies were declared stillborn by the hospital and handed over to the family allegedly in a polythene bag. But to their utter horror, the family found that the boy was still alive, while they were on way to do their final rites.
(Inputs from agencies)
