Wrong Chemo Procedure Causes Death
In Kolkata, India, a thirty-seven year old engineer, Kuntal Chowdhury, died after receiving his chemotherapy treatment in the wrong way.
He was an engineer working with a nationalized bank when he was diagnosed in February with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, stage 2. He was treated at Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital. A month later he went for a chemotherapy treatment in Kolkata at the New Allipore Hospital under the care of his oncologist, Dr. Rajesh Jindel.
On June 18th he went for another treatment. Dr. Jindel was not present when the anaesthetist injected the drug. The injection was supposed to be intravenous but it was pushed into Kuntal's spinal column. Kuntal realized that it was wrong but it was too late. His condition worsened starting with fever, vomiting and urine retention. Paralysis settled in and he began to slowly slip away. He was referred back to Tata Memorial Hospital.
On June 20, Kuntal was admitted there but the doctors could do little. Oncologist Reena Nair at Tata Memorial observed that the patient had developed "truneal ataxia" caused by a neurological disorder. Doctors there counseled the patient's family members about the condition and the possible outcome. Four days later, they came back to Kolkata and Kuntal was admitted to another private hospital. He was there till Wednesday.
The family has lodged a complaint with the state health department and the West Bengal Medical Council. The president of the medical council has said they will investigate this and as soon as they get a reply from the doctor the case hearing will start.
