The inquiry ordered by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) Rohtak, into the deaths of five patients admitted in different departments is yet to reach a conclusion, with the five-member committee constituted for the probe not submitted its report so far.
The committee, constituted under the medical superintendent with the heads of the department of gynaecology, anaesthesiology, surgery, and dentistry were its members and was given 15 days to submit the report by the end of August.
However, according to medical officials, the inquiry is still examining the medical records and circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The development comes days after the institute ordered a probe into the deaths of the patients, who had undergone surgery in different departments and were shifted to general ward. PGIMS director Dr. Suresh Kumar Singhal confirmed that the inquiry was ordered and said the report was awaited and it should have been submitted till now. “We will examine the reasons behind the delay”, he said.
He said the issue had come to light after five patients died within a relatively short period without a clear common cause, warranting an examination to establish the reasons and determine whether there was any lapse in treatment or medical management.
“An inquiry was ordered as the deaths occurred within a period of about two months and there were some issues which required examination.” The committee has been asked to look into the cases. Once the report is received, further action will be taken,” Singhal said.
According to doctors familiar with the cases, establishing the exact cause of death has become difficult in the absence of post-mortem examinations or autopsy report. They said a post-mortem can be important in cases where the cause of death is not clinically apparent, particularly when a patient dies unexpectedly after undergoing a procedure.
“In such cases, unless a post-mortem or autopsy is conducted, it may not always be possible to establish what exactly happened to the patient,” a doctor associated with the cases said, requesting anonymity.
Doctors, however, pointed out that families sometimes decline post-mortem examinations and prefer to take the body home for cremation soon after the death. They said such decisions can limit the scope for determining the precise medical cause of an unexpected death. At the same time, they maintained that examining the available medical records, treatment history, drugs administered and the sequence of events could help the inquiry committee assess the circumstances.
On being asked that how they could find out the exact cause of death without a postmortem report, a senior doctor said that now they will examine all the medical record of these patients and their medical conditions after the surgery, and they will also require the statements of the doctors and the staff, examining them after the surgery.
Sources said two of the patients had undergone dental surgeries, while the other three had undergone procedures in different departments. However, none of the five, according to the information available, was being treated for a known heart-related ailment, making it difficult to attribute the deaths simply to cardiac arrest.
The committee is examining case sheets, treatment records and other relevant documents to determine the sequence of events preceding each death and whether there was any common factor or any deficiency in patient management. Singhal said that now that the matter had been brought to his notice, he would take it up with the doctors concerned and ask the inquiry committee to submit its findings at the earliest.
On being contacted, the chairman of the committee Dr. Kundan Mittal said, “We are collecting the information related to the cases and the report will be submitted soon”
Neeraj Mohan is a senior journalist known for his in-depth reporting on political, agricultural, environmental, and socio-economic issues. Currently serving with Hindustan Times, he has a reputation for grassroots journalism and extensive field reporting. Over the years, he has also worked with The Tribune and The Sunday Guardian, covering politics, governance, farmer movements, rural distress, environmental challenges, and public policy issues in North India. Alongside political coverage, he is widely recognised for his human-interest stories that highlight the struggles and aspirations of ordinary people. His journalism combines factual analysis with on-ground narratives, making his work insightful, balanced, and closely connected to grassroots realities.Read More