Sassoon panel report questions role of Deenanath, 3 other hospitals in woman’s prenatal death

Pune: A senior official of Sassoon General Hospital told TOI on Friday that its six-member committee's report on postnatal death of a woman last month observed that Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital should have admitted her for treatment and questioned the role of three other facilities treating her. He also said the panel would need time to respond to the specific queries of the Pune police regarding medical negligence, if any.
The official said the report did not directly accuse any of the hospitals of medical negligence, but it observed that Indira IVF Centre should not have carried out the in vitro fertilisation, given that the victim, Tanisha Bhise, would have a high-risk pregnancy, and Surya Hospital should have referred her to a higher centre if it was not equipped for such complex surgeries. The committee also stated that Manipal Hospital had failed to conduct a postmortem after her death.
The Sassoon panel iterated the observations regarding Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in the health department committee's report related to Bhise's death. The earlier inquiry report had mentioned that the hospital should have admitted the patient and followed the golden hour treatment protocol.
Bhise had gone to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital for treatment on March 28. After her relatives were allegedly told to deposit Rs10 lakh, she was shifted to Surya Hospital. Bhise delivered twins there on March 29, but her condition deteriorated post-delivery. She was then taken to Manipal Hospital, where she passed away on March 31.
The Sassoon hospital's six-member committee, headed by medical superintendent Dr Yallappa Jadhav, was constituted to examine the likelihood of medical negligence resulting in Bhise's death. It sent its report to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, and the Pune police "by hand" on Wednesday. Pune commissioner of police (CP) Amitesh Kumar on Thursday said there was no mention of any "actionable points" against Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital or the treating doctor, Shushrut Ghaisas, in the report. He sought more clarity from the panel on details in it.
A member of the Sassoon hospital's six-member committee said, "The police have specifically told us to point out if there was any medical negligence and if yes, who was responsible for it. The committee needs to once again get together and draft the response. Friday being a holiday and a long weekend ahead, we will need time for the same."
He said the committee pointed out lacunas by all the four health institutes treating Bhise, after going through the documents it had received for investigations. "We specifically questioned the IVF centre's decision to continue with the process despite being aware that the woman was a high-risk patient. Not only was she of a higher age, her previous medical records of ovarian cysts revealed that she would indeed have a high-risk pregnancy," he said.
A spokesperson of Indira IVF Centre had earlier said, "The patient came to us approximately a year ago seeking infertility treatment. She had a prior history of both ovaries being removed due to ovarian cysts in 2022. She did not report undergoing chemotherapy. During her routine tests at Indira IVF, no further complications were identified. Her treatment was successful, leading to a successful conception."
Another senior official of Sassoon hospital, aware of the committee's findings, said, "The report mentions that Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital should have admitted the patient and not made her wait for hours."
When TOI sought a response from the hospital on the panel's observation, its medical director Dr Dhananayjay Kelkar said, "I am out of town right now. Please contact me after 20 days."
The Sassoon panel's report also questioned the Surya Hospital's decision to admit such a high-risk patient without having enough facilities. Surya Hospital's Dr Sachin Shah, director, neonatal pediatric intensive care services, said, "We have not yet seen the report. So, it would not be fair to comment on it."
The panel observed that Manipal Hospital did not perform postmortem after Bhise died. "In this case, it would have been crucial in determining the exact cause of death," said the senior official of Sassoon.
Manipal Hospital, in a response to TOI's queries, said, "Our teams diligently evaluate the clinical condition, admission history and legal guidelines to determine appropriate next steps, including if a case qualifies as medico-legal. Where relevant, families are counselled transparently regarding all options, including postmortem, so that they can take an informed decision and provide the consent to pursue the options available even when not mandated by the law."
Rupali Chakankar, the chairperson of Maharashtra State women's Commission, said, "The Pune CP has sought specific information about if there has been any medical negligence in this case. I assure you that once the final report is out, the guilty will be held accountable, be it the doctor or the hospital."