Inquiry into death of woman at Pvt hospital finds discrepancy in records

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, Aug 28: A seven-member inquiry committee into the death of a 29-year-old woman at Medlyn Hospital, Chanapora, has recommended a fresh forensic and expert examination of the case, saying gaps and discrepancies in the available evidence prevented it from conclusively determining the cause and manner of death.

The committee has called for forensic scrutiny of the hospital's CCTV and NVR systems and other electronic records, verification of disputed laboratory records, retrieval of complete medico-legal documents and constitution of a multi-speciality expert panel to reconstruct the clinical sequence and assess the possible mechanism of deterioration.

It has also recommended a medico-legal examination or autopsy, subject to legal permissibility and if considered necessary, in view of allegations concerning abdominal wounds and the committee's inability to physically examine the body.

Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp  

The committee said the evidence available to it was insufficient to conclusively establish or exclude the suspected air embolism recorded as the probable cause of death.

It has recommended that the CCTV and NVR systems and other electronic evidence be examined by an appropriate technical authority to determine whether any recordings were altered or tampered with and to establish the reasons for identified gaps.

The panel has also sought verification of the original laboratory records of Shifa Hospital, including electronic laboratory information-system records, sample accession and barcode records, timestamps and related metadata, following discrepancies between records supplied by Medlyn Hospital and those obtained directly from Shifa Hospital.

Complete medico-legal records from SMHS Hospital have also been sought, including documents relating to admission, resuscitation, ICU management, declaration of death and certification of the cause of death.

The proposed expert panel would comprise specialists in anaesthesiology, gynaecology and obstetrics, critical care medicine and forensic medicine. It would independently examine the complete record, reconstruct the sequence of clinical events and assess the possible mechanism of deterioration.

According to the inquiry report, the woman had a documented history of endometriosis and had undergone hystero-laparoscopic surgery in 2025 for endometriosis, hyperprolactinaemia and hydropelvic conditions.

She subsequently underwent IVF treatment, with records showing an IVF pregnancy in which a second-trimester foetus was expelled at Paras Hospital in July 2026.

On August 4, she approached an IVF centre to plan a second IVF cycle and was referred to Dr Syed Basit for diagnostic hystero-laparoscopy.

The proposed procedure was recorded as hystero-laparoscopy for endometriosis, an ovarian endometriotic cyst and left-sided hydropinx.

She was admitted to Medlyn Hospital at around 2:50 pm on August 5.

The committee noted a discrepancy in the records regarding the time she was shifted to the operation theatre.

During the procedure, the operating gynaecologist reportedly encountered difficulties and, according to statements recorded by the committee, the patient subsequently suffered sudden deterioration and cardiac arrest.

She was shifted to SMHS Hospital for further management.

She reached SMHS at around 7:05 pm, was shifted to the SICU and underwent CPR and other resuscitative measures. She was declared dead at approximately 7:48 pm.

The death note recorded by the consultant cited cardiac arrest due to suspected air embolism following diagnostic laparo-hysteroscopy as the probable cause of death.

However, the committee said it could neither independently establish nor exclude the suspected cause because of an incomplete clinical case file, inadequate documentation of aspects of the patient's medical and gynaecological history, discrepancies in laboratory records and gaps in CCTV footage.

Notably, on August 14, Chief Medical Officer Srinagar ordered the immediate sealing of the operation theatre at Medlyn Hospital, Pamposh Colony, and directed that gynaecologist Dr Syed Basit and anaesthetist Dr Javid Naqashbandi be barred from performing clinical procedures, particularly operative and anaesthesia-related procedures, in private hospitals and institutions across J&K pending further action under the applicable rules and guidelines.

The CMO also directed the hospital administration to ensure that the sealed operation theatre was neither opened nor accessed for clinical use or any other purpose without prior written permission from the competent authority.

The hospital was further directed to preserve all relevant records and evidence, including case sheets, treatment and operative records, anaesthesia notes, laboratory and imaging reports, consent forms, duty rosters, referral and discharge records, electronic records and available CCTV footage.