Ludhiana hospital under scanner: HC seeks answers on deceased 22-year-old’s missing kidney

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed Ludhiana Commissioner of Police to forthwith investigate allegations surrounding the disappearance of a 22-year-old woman’s kidney after her death at a Ludhiana hospital.

“The truth behind this missing kidney is still a mystery, which has never been inquired or investigated into,” Justice Kuldeep Tiwari asserted, while calling for a compliance report by September 30 – the next date of hearing in the case.

“Prima facie, this court is of the view that, the medical report is totally silent on one of the vital issues appertaining to deceased’s missing kidney. Moreover, this court does not find any document indicating that, this issue was ever referred to any expert for analysis. It is not under dispute, rather it is clearly voiced in the post-mortem report that, the left kidney of the deceased was not traceable,” the court observed.

The Bench observed that petitioner Mangat Ram Sharma’s daughter was admitted to the Ludhiana hospital on June 1, 2021, for surgery. The first surgery was performed on June 2 by a spine brain surgeon, along with other doctors. A second surgery followed on June 7. However, her condition continued to worsen and she passed away on June 16 in the hospital.

According to the medical record, the cause of death was cardiac arrest due to Covid-19, based on a Covid test conducted on June 15, 2021. The medical record raised doubts in the petitioner’s mind, prompting him to lodge a police complaint, leading to an autopsy. The post-mortem report revealed that the deceased’s left kidney was missing, a fact which “fortified the suspicion of the petitioner regarding medical negligence and criminal act on the part of the treating doctors.”

Following the complaint, the Civil Surgeon, Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, constituted a medical board of six specialists on September 7, 2021, to express opinion on whether the death was due to medical negligence or sudden illness. The court noted that the medical board’s report explained the possible cause of death, but remained silent on the missing kidney and offered no clear conclusion regarding medical negligence.

Justice Tiwari aserted: “Although the medical board has explained the possible reason of deceased’s death, however, there is no clear observation as to whether the treating doctor(s) conducted any medical negligence. Moreover, there is no inquiry conducted by the medical board with regard to the deceased’s missing kidney. This medical report is the only document with the respondent(s)-state for not proceeding further in the matter and to unearth the truth behind deceased’s missing kidney.”

Ludhiana