Death due to negligence and greed for money. Review on Apollo Gleneagles Hospital - Kadapara - Kolkata

My father (64 yrs)  passed away on 16th March, 2013 at Apollo Hospital, Kolkata from multi-organ failure due to post-operative septic shock/septicemia.  He was operated upon by Dr Shaikat Gupta for esophagogastrectomy on 4th March, 2013 following detection of adeno carcinoma at the GE junction and was under the post-operative care of Dr Mahesh. K. Goenka.

My father was admitted on 22nd February, 2013 for polypectomy by Dr M K. Goenka.  Dr Goenka found a thickening of the stomach walls in and around the polyp at the GE junction. He went for a biopsy of the ulcerated regions and did not go for the polypectomy. The biopsy revealed adeno carcinoma.

I must mention that my father was admitted under Dr Goenka for 3 days in October, 2012 with complaints of melena and fatigue. He underwent endoscopy and colonoscopy along with other tests at that time. Ulcerated regions were found in October, 2012, but he was discharged without any biopsy being done. The doctors simply stopped a medicine(Ecosprin) he was taking and were of the opinion that the medicine was the sole cause of melena. My father started having swallowing difficulties in January, 2013 and went back to Dr M. K. Goenka for treatment. This time the endoscopy and biopsy revealed only a non-malignant polyp for which he was admitted for polypectomy on 22ndFebruary, 2013.

Dr Shaikat Gupta(Surgical Oncologist) took over following detection of adeno carcinoma and advised me verbally that there is more than 95% surety of successful operation and cure. He also told me that he has done esophagogastrectomy on 50 people and none have died till date. Dr Gupta gave me the maximum possible estimate of Rs 5.00 lakhs from the date of operation till discharge. Following this, I gave my consent for the operation.*

Following the operation, my dad gradually developed consolidation in the left lung from March 6th 2013. Initially there was a small patch in the left lung and the right lung was completely fine. By 9th March, 2013 his left lung was completely consolidated and none of the medicines worked and he was put on ventilator.. All along Dr S Gupta and Dr MK Goenka did not take opinion of any  proper pulmonologist. Dr Suresh Ramasubban, who is a technician in critical care was asked to perform bronchoscopy. On 11th March, 2013 I was forced to ask Dr Goenka to consult a proper pulmonologist, as my dad’s condition was deteriorating fast and he was still on ventilator. At my insistence, Dr Ashok Sengupta(Pulmonologist at Apollo Gleneagles, Kolkata) was called in on March 12th, 2013.  Dr  Sengupta advised me that there is a very slim chance of survival. Dr S Gupta, being the responsible surgeon went out of town from 12th March, 2013 evening. I never saw him again as long as my father was fighting for his life. **I would like to point out the negligence and greed for money on the doctor’s part that led to death-

1) Why was the biopsy not done on the ulcerated regions in October, 2012? The detailed histopathology in March, 2013 revealed that it was a Stage 3 carcinoma and even chopping off more than half of the esophagus and stomach failed to remove it all. How could this carcinoma go undetected 5 months back after so many tests and experience of Dr M. K. Goenka which possibly could have saved my father’s life?

2) Even the endoscopy and biopsy on 7th February, 2013 failed to reveal the carcinoma. Is this the prognosis and diagnostic capability of eminent doctors like Dr MK Goenka?

3) The operation performed by Dr S Gupta was done based on only the CT scan report of the upper abdomen and chest. While performing the operation Dr Gupta went on to remove much larger part of the esophagus and stomach than what he had initially thought. Why were not a more detailed imaging and staging done before the operation? MRI/ endoscopy with ultra sound could have been done to figure out the extent of spread of the cancer.

4) Why Dr S Gupta simply not decide to not perform the esophagogastrectomy on the operating table itself, after finding out the extensive spread of the cancer upon opening? The extensiveness of the carcinoma is evident from the histopathology report. In developed countries, doctors simply don’t operate cases like this and live it upon tender love and care till the patient dies. I was given a safe estimate of Rs 5.00 lakhs till discharge and ultimately was handed over a bill of Rs 8.92 lakhs approx. to take home a dead body. If this was not done for money, then what it was done for? According to me Dr Shaikat Gupta used my father as a guinea pig to practise his operative skills and earn some money. He would have died anyhow from the cancer itself in a few months possibly.

5) Why no proper pulmonologist was called from the moment respiratory distress started on 6th March, 2013? Why the patient party had to insist on calling a pulmonologist in a super-specialty hospital? Dr Goenka is a gastroenterologist while Dr Gupta is an oncological surgeon who let the situation go out of hand, instead of calling a proper chest specialist.

6) From where did the post-operative septicemia develop in a super-specialty hospital like Apollo Gleneagles? Either the OT was not properly sterilized or the instruments for operation or the ITU itself. Dr S Gupta is a major party to this development as he was the surgeon. Even Dr Goenka’s role is not to be ignored.

7) Where did the professional ethics of the doctors go? All the doctors except Dr Ashok Sengupta misled me. I am a post doctoral scientist in cancer biology from Baylor College of Medicine, USA and am not a fool not to understand these lies. Some examples-

a) Dr S Gupta told me he has done 50 cases of esophagogastrectomy and none have died. The 51th patient who had to die was my father. The statistics don’t support him. Who keeps a tab on his success rate?

b) Dr S Gupta and Dr MK. Goenka all along maintained that the respiratory distress was due to pneumonia, though no growth was found in sputum culture. They never said that septicemia was the root cause of all the problems.

c) Though my dad was in partial comatose condition for 2 days preceding his death, Dr Goenka insisted that he was on sedatives.*

During my father’s stay at the GITU of Apollo Gleneagles, Kolkata from 4th -16th March, 2013 I saw at least 6-7 people die in front of my eyes. They are simply doing business with people’s lives. The doctors think themselves as “GOD” and go on misleading common people like us. They do not think twice before lying. Most of the times statements made by doctors are not documented, which makes it impossible to prove their modus operandi. Even in my case, except for the medical reports I do not have any other written statements by doctors. According to me, this is a legalized murder of my dad within the confines of an air-conditioned hospital and is just one in a million cases. I am the only child and left with my mother after losing all our savings in my dad’s killing by eminent doctors.

Please take a note of this incident so that somebody else’s life can be saved from being butchered by the negligent and greedy doctors. I will not get my dad back but will find some solace if justice is meted out to me.  I hope this review helps somebody else.