A huge row has broken out in Jalandhar following the death of a government school teacher during spine surgery at the city's highly sought-after Armaan Hospital. The family of the deceased has blamed the doctors at the hospital for gross medical negligence and has declined to conduct her last rites until a criminal case is lodged against them.
The instructor, who had come from Gurdaspur for a minor spine procedure, passed away suspiciously following a four-hour operation, twice as long as originally told to the family. Relatives claim the hospital withheld information about her condition worsening and waited until it was too late to inform them. The body has been kept in the civil hospital mortuary for seven days, with the family refusing to back down from their demand for justice.
I lost my young daughter. I will not conduct her last rites until the culprits are punished, regardless of who they are," said Charanjit Multani, father of the murdered teacher. He also alleged he was being pressured to relent but was standing firm.
The incident has raised some serious questions regarding the quality and accountability of Jalandhar's private healthcare. With the postmortem being carried out under videographic monitoring by a team of doctors, the family and public are now waiting for the report, which might decide what happens next. Police officials said a case would be lodged as per the postmortem report, which is yet to be received.
The case has brought Armaan Hospital under intense public examination and placed local authorities under pressure to guarantee a solid and open investigation. The death of the teacher has become a cause célèbre for demands for tighter controls and accountability in medical practice throughout the region.