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Haryana Minister blames Escorts for wife's death

The patient had very poor heart condition, says doctor

NEW DELHI: Haryana Education Minister Phool Chand Mulana on Tuesday alleged that ``gross negligence'' by the Escorts hospital led to the death of his wife.

``My wife, who was a cardiac patient and had a pacemaker was operated upon on June 10 at the Escorts and then again on June 13. Following the surgery she developed some infection, to which the doctors did not pay heed, leading to her death yesterday,'' Mr Phool Chand told UNI.

Alleging negligence on part of the hospital, he said the attending doctor left for the United States after the operation and the doctor who took over could not control the fever which led to the death of his wife Pushpa Mulana. "They gave her antibiotics for a urinary tract infection which she had contracted but there was no sign of improvement after the surgery,'' he alleged.

Denying the allegations, operating Cardiac Surgeon Dr T. S. Kler, who returned from the US, last night said, ``The 55-year-old patient had a very poor heart condition with a pumping capacity of just 15-20 per cent. She came to us five years back when the pacemaker was successfully installed and in fact it is a great thing that she lived these past years as her condition was very bad.

``She came to us again in the first week of June and we investigated her for weak battery of the pacemaker but we found that even the lead or the wire going into the pacemaker was not functioning for which she was operated upon on June 13. The patient recovered well but developed fever and the hospital infection team investigated her but came up with nothing,'' he said. According to Dr Kler, no septecimia was proved as claimed by the Minister.

"Our patients are looked after by a team of doctors, not just one cardiac surgeon, so even if I leave town my patients are well looked after by the rest of the team,'' Dr Kler, who was awarded Padma Bhushan this year, said. -- UNI

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Haryana Minister blames Escorts for wife's death

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