Code Red 10th April 2015 Written Update

Code Red 10th April 2015 Written Episode

City Private Hospital, October 2014, New Delhi:
A meeting is going on. A senior guy from the management (Chairman) scolds all the docs. This isn’t a government hospital. World’s best equipments are here. We pay you salary in lakhs. It should have been atleast 10 operations in the past week whereas the count is only one! Management will have to take a very big (strict) decision very soon if the trend continues. Management is only concerned about profit. We don’t care how you do it. Every doc has to achieve their individual target or I will forget which doc has been here since when. Management will have fire a few of you in that case.

One of the docs feels as if he has an MBA’s degree and they are studying marketing here. Should we forcefully operate someone even if that’s not needed? The other senior doc smiles. You are new so you do not understand the facts. You will fulfil your target too once you get a hold of the things. Focus on your work and relax.

Nayi Aawaz Head Office, New Delhi:
Kabir and his boss are watching news. Kabir is told to cover a particular story about medical negligence. One of Kabir’s friends (Umesh) comes to meet him at the office. They chit chat for a while. Kabir’s friend invites him at his house for dinner but Kabir is going to Raipur for a week. They promise to meet once Kabir is back in town.

10 days later:
Kabir has brought photos of the women who died because of medical negligence. These women were happy in their families till a few days ago. They had no idea that they will never return. The sad part is that they all are approx 30-35 years old, and had kids. The kids will be orphans now. All these ladies died but neither the government nor the doctors give a damn about it. they are busy blaming one another. An investigation committee has been made which will present a report. The case will be dragged for years. No one knows when the verdict will be announced. His boss suggests him to take rest for a while. I will handle it all.

Kabir calls his friend Umesh. His wife picks it up. He gets to know that Umesh is admitted in City Private Hospital right now. Kabir is taken aback.

City Private Hospital, New Delhi:
Kabir meets Umesh’s wife in the corridor. He asks about his friend’s health. She (Shobha) tells him that Umesh’s condition deteriorated after the operation. Even the doc is not telling anything clearly. Umesh looked a little better in the morning but his condition worsened again. Kabir wonders what happened to Umesh in these 10 days time. She too is unable to understand the cause behind Umesh’s illness. He doesn’t like it when kids sit at home to watch tv or play games. He wants the kids to go outside and play.

Shiv Shanti Society, Shastri Nagar, New Delhi:
Umesh personally meets the other families in the society along with Shobha and Bhargava (their son). He encourages the kids to play outside. Umesh, Shobha and the kids of the society play football. All the residents either come out to watch their game or peek from their balconies. Everyone enjoys the game. Umesh starts coughing in the end and holds his chest. Shobha suggests him to go to doc as this has happened for the second time.

City Private Hospital, New Delhi:
Doc (Dr. Avasthi) checks Umesh. He reads his report afterwards and says I am not too sure but I think you have a heart problem. The family is taken aback. You are taking a very big risk if you think you can solve this pain by taking painkillers. Umesh is against it but Shobha agrees. Once Umesh leaves with his family, the doc smiles in relief thinking that his target for the month is complete now!

Umesh gets all the tests done. We were told to get Umesh’s angiography done. During the operation, Dr. Avasthi told me that one of the veins of Umesh’s heart is broken so the blood circulation is not proper there. A small operation can rectify everything. He can even lose his life otherwise. It will be a minor operation. Shobha is distressed. Umesh still feels all fit and fine but Dr. Avasthi stays put. Your medi-claim will cover most of the expenses. He tells them about the stents that will be put in Umesh during the operation. Shobha chooses the expensive one. Umesh wants some time to think. Dr. Avasthi says I have shown the blockage to your wife. It will be a big risk if we wait. Shobha wants the operation to happen asap. Dr. Avasthi tells her to pay the amount at the reception. We will make preps for angioplasty. Umesh tries to explain it to Shobha but she pleads him to listen to her. He agrees for her sake. Umesh is taken for operation.

Present: Docs are telling me to wait for a day or two. They will tell something then only. Umesh was very fit. He used to play football daily. This should not have happened with him. Kabir assures her that everything will be fine. He goes inside with Shobha to meet Umesh. Shobha is in tears to see him thus. Umesh keeps cracking jokes to make the atmosphere light. Umesh asks Kabir to click a photo of all of them together. Kabir clicks one as he knows Umesh wont give up. He leaves then as he has some work. Umesh tells him to come back soon. he continues to tease his wife lovingly when he suddenly feels too much pain. Shobha runs out to call the doc.

The senior doc is not happy with Dr. Avasthi’s decision. You could have given him blood thinner and then some regular medicines. Dr. Avasthi talks about their target. There is so much pressure from Chairman Sir. How will we meet our targets if we will continue to leave patients like this? This case was too easy. I don’t know where I made the mistake. The stent has not been placed correctly so Umesh’s life is in danger. The senior doc points out the same to him. it will be a problem for us. You people are just concentrating on your targets. Hope we don’t have to pay a heavy price for it. Dr. Avasthi taunts the senior doc behind his back.

Next day:
Kabir shares that other docs are threatening to go on a strike to beil the doc who has been arrested for medical negligence in Chattisgarh. They feel that the medicine company is responsible for it. the company is already blacklisted. His boss is happy with his research on the story. I want you to follow it diligently. Kabir agrees.

Kabir calls at hospital as Shobha is not picking her phone. He is shocked to hear the response of the receptionist.

Kabir comes rushing to Umesh’s house. Umesh is no more. Kabir asks Shobha how this happened. She tells him that Umesh had a searing pain once you left from the hospital. Doc called me in his cabin. He told me that another operation is to be done.

Flashback: Shobha is asked to pay Rs. 3 lakhs more for this operation. The amount is too much for them. Even the claim wont recover it. Dr. Avasthi tells her to take her husband to some government hospital if she doesn’t want to spare some extra money. Shobha denies. I will try to arrange the money somehow. She is confused from where she will arrange that much money. A war boy (from Dr. Avasthi’s cabin) approaches her. he helps her in selling off her jewellery to one of his acquaintance. He is ready to give 2.5 lakhs. Shobha sells all the jewellery along with her mangalsutra. The man gives her 3 lakhs then. She requests him not to sell her mangalsutra to anyone else. I will buy it back as soon as the money is arranged.

Shobha pays the money at the billing counter. Dr. Avasthi makes her sign a form which states that hospital wont be responsible if anything happens to Umesh during the operation. It is just a formality. Shobha reluctantly signs the form.

Dr. Avasthi comes out of the operation theatre. He tells Shobha that they could not save Umesh. Shobha breaks down. We couldn’t save him.

Present: Kabir too is in tears. He caresses Umesh’s head. They take Umesh away to do his last rites. Shobha cries out for Umesh.

Kabir returns home. He thinks of Umesh and their last photo together. Sakshi (host) asks Kabir what he is thinking. There is something fishy for sure. What happened suddenly to a perfectly young guy of 33 years that he died? Why two operations? He lost his life in that. Do you think it was a natural death? Is hospital responsible for it? Kabir says it might be. She asks him what he will do now. Will you also accept it, like others that people die in their operations? Or would you try to find out the truth like a true reporter? Go and find out the truth. Kabir gets thinking.

Shiv Shanti Society, Shastri Nagar, New Delhi:
Kabir comes to meet Shobha. He asks for Umesh’s reports from her. I feel there was some mistake. Umesh was so fit. It is important to find out why a fit man like Umesh died so suddenly. Shobha gives Umesh’s reports to Kabir.

City Hospital, Vikas Puri, New Delhi:
Kabir consults another doc. He reads Umesh’s report. From the report it seems that the patient can get well by treatment. Kabir tells him that the patient died while he was in OT. Doc is taken aback. It could have been cured with blood thinner. He dint even need an operation. Kabir deduces that it is a case of medical negligence. Can we file a case against the hospital / doctors in this case? Doc nods. But it will be very difficult to prove it. Every doc decides a different procedure for the patient as per his / her reports. I would suggest you to talk to the hospital authorities. Pressurize them for compensation.

Kabir meets Dr. Avasthi. Doc explains Kabir why he did what he did. I took a call as per the reports / condition of my patient. You can still go to IMA if you want. Kabir leaves saying that he will definitely approach. Dr. Avasthi is tensed. He calls someone immediately.

IMA, New Delhi:
The authorities refuse to look into the matter.

Kabir meets a lawyer next. Maybe doc has done Umesh’s operation for money but it will be really difficult to prove it in the court. There is only one solution. We can try to prove it in the consumer court. No doc has been punished there too. only compensation can be obtained, which will take many years. Kabir says compensation is needed now not later. Shobha can use it for her son’s education. Lawyer promises to help him as much as he can. Kabir refuses to give up.

Kabir’s boss tells Kabir that they cannot print this story till the facts are proved right. They can file a defamation case against us. Kabir is sad that he cannot print it even when he knows the truth.

Shobha is not in a mood to fight. There will be so many other people like us who would have been through a similar situation. Kabir gets an idea. What if we get them on our side? We can do something then. Shobha says it is very difficult. How would we find out their records? Shobha recalls that ward boy who had helped her. The ward boy agrees to get them that register. Kabir and Shobha start calling every person in the list. A few people agree to join them.

Kabir, Shobha, Bhargava and a lot many other people gather outside City Private Hospital. They all are holding banners in their hands. The hospital authorities and doctors are worried. Kabir is called inside.

Chairman suggests Kabir to approach Consumer Court. There will be no benefit anyways. Kabir says these people have lost their loved ones. We will continue to protest outside your hospital like this every day now. You can think of your options. He walks out of the room. Chairman scolds the docs for being careless. I had told you to create profit, not problems. I will fire each one of you. the same senior doc calls it greed. It is all because of your greed of targets. You want 10 operations every week; 50 patients, multiple tests so this will happen. You wont be able to quieten these people now. The numbers will increase only and then the matter will be out in public. The truth will be out then. Dr. Avasthi blames Chairman for he only pressurizes docs to achieve target. The senior doc suggests him to call each person individually, apologize to them and pay them their dues. We will be ruined otherwise. I will actually support them if there is an enquiry tomorrow. the other docs too feel that this is the only option that they have.

Medical Council has appointed an investigation committee against Dr. Avasthi once the news was out in the media. People got compensation but no happiness in the world can fill the empty place of that person ever. Thousands of people die in our country because of negligence, wrong treatment, wrong medicines, etc. Someone breathes his last in government hospital while some people spend their entire life savings in a big hospital. We get a guarantee over everything that we buy but there is no guarantee of our body by anyone anywhere. No doc or hospital has been proved a culprit in our country till date. It is not like that in foreign countries. It isn’t that every person in the medical profession takes a wrong decision but such situations have risen because of these handfuls of greedy people. Let’s hope one day the law is made strict and someone good can come out of it.

Sakshi too urges people not to be careless about their health. Always take a second opinion when some doc suggests you an operation. Don’t sit quietly if you become a prey of a fraud of this kind. Raise awareness. Raise your voice against it.