Bardhaman Medical Negligence: WBMC Seeks Report | The Probe Impact
Bardhaman Medical Negligence: West Bengal Medical Council Seeks Report
The West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) has sought a report from Sharanya Multispeciality Hospital in Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal, in a case related to alleged medical negligence that resulted in vision loss in two babies. The WBMC has asked Sharanya Multispeciality Hospital to furnish an explanation regarding the allegations levelled against the hospital by Hitesh Choudhary, father of one of the babies, Baby Mivaan.
The Probe had reported the story on 30 October 2024, detailing the ordeal of the children and their families. The families told The Probe that the babies would endure a lifetime of disability due to critical screenings that were not performed by the hospital in Bardhaman.
“This is a good development, but the case is progressing at a very slow pace. The same hospital in Bardhaman, Sharanya Multispeciality Hospital, has inaugurated a hospital with 350 beds. I keep travelling past this hospital every day, and it is very painful to see this. The licenses of the doctors have still not been cancelled,” said Hitesh Choudhary, speaking to The Probe.
The West Bengal Medical Council has also sought a report from Burdwan Medical College and Hospital in Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal, asking them to provide their comments in the matter. According to Choudhary, it was Burdwan Medical College and Hospital that first informed him that Baby Mivaan had been wrongly treated at Sharanya Multispeciality Hospital. “Burdwan Medical College and Hospital had first informed us that there were many treatment lapses at Sharanya Hospital that led to the vision loss in my child. I hope that Burdwan Medical College and Hospital quickly sends their understanding of the case so that my baby can get justice,” said Choudhary.
Both hospitals in Bardhaman—Sharanya Multispeciality Hospital and Burdwan Medical College and Hospital—have been asked to furnish their replies within 15 days.
What Happened to the Babies?
Two families are reeling from what they allege is gross medical negligence at Sharanya Multispeciality Hospital, which has left their premature infants, Baby Mivaan and Baby Adrita, with severe vision impairment due to untreated Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).
A recent government report has substantiated their claims, pointing to the hospital’s failure to conduct critical ROP screenings during the infants’ extended NICU stays. The families, now pursuing legal action, are demanding accountability for the irreversible damage caused to their children’s eyesight.
Delayed Screenings and Devastating Consequences
Hitesh Choudhary, father of Baby Mivaan, recounted the chaotic circumstances surrounding his son’s birth on June 23, 2023. Born prematurely after a rushed delivery, Mivaan was allegedly left unattended for 40 minutes before being admitted to the NICU, where he remained for 43 days. Despite standard guidelines mandating ROP screening within four weeks for preterm infants, the family alleged that the hospital failed to perform the test and advised the family to wait an additional 15 days post-discharge.
A subsequent diagnosis revealed that Baby Mivaan had permanent blindness in his left eye and severe impairment in his right. Similarly, Baby Adrita, born on May 24, 2023, spent 48 days in the NICU without an ROP screening. Her father, Manoj Kumar Ghosh, discovered her condition only after seeking external testing, resulting in multiple invasive procedures that left her with significant vision loss.
Hospital Faces Allegations of Tampering and Inadequate Care
The Chief Medical Officer of Health’s report has intensified scrutiny on the hospital in Bardhaman, confirming that neither infant received the required ROP screening and raising concerns over tampered medical records in Mivaan’s case.
Dr. Soumendra Saha Sikdar, the hospital’s proprietor, admitted to lacking ROP screening facilities at the time, citing challenges in accessing specialised retinal care. Despite the hospital’s claims of prioritising infant survival, both families assert that timely screening or referral could have prevented their children’s lifelong disabilities.
As Mivaan and Adrita face ongoing treatments and surgeries, their parents have turned to consumer courts and the state medical council in a bid to hold the hospital in Bardhaman accountable for alleged medical negligence.
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