Madhya Pradesh: Cath lab where fraud doc performed fatal surgeries sealed

Bhopal, April 10 (IANS) The scandal involving Dr. Narendra Yadav, who posed as N. John Camm and performed fatal heart surgeries on fifteen unsuspecting patients, took another dramatic turn when the Mission Hospital's cath lab at Rai Chaouraha at district town of Damoh was sealed by district health officials on Thursday.

Dr. Yadav, known by the fraudulent alias N.J. Camm, reportedly lacked the necessary qualifications to conduct any medical procedures related to heart ailments.

An official order dated April 9 (a copy of which is available with IANS) revealed that the hospital's cath lab had been delisted from the Ayushman Bharat Niramayam, MP Portal due to the absence of a qualified doctor to oversee its operations.

Further investigation by Damoh’s district health officer confirmed that no medical professional was competent to manage the facility, and even a doctor Dr. Akhilesh Dube refused to run the cath lab any further or take up the position, it was necessary to shut the lab.

On Thursday evening, a team of five officials visited the hospital at around 4.30 p.m.

The group consisted doctors from the district hospital -- Dr. Prahlad Patel, Dr. Vikrant Chauhan, Dr. Rajesh Namdev, Dr. Prashant Soni -- and Naib Tehsildar Raghunandan Chaturvedi, who ensured sealing of the cath lab.

A senior government official told IANS, the sealing process was carried out in adherence to legal protocols and formalised in presence of Dr. Chauhan and Dr. Namdev.

The case has drawn the attention of the National Human Rights Commission, state police, and district health authorities, who are now investigating the deaths of seven patients under suspicious circumstances following surgeries performed by Dr. Yadav, alias Camm.

Meanwhile, the hospital's blood bank has also come under scrutiny, with officials hinting at impending actions.

A hospital manager protested the sealing of the cath lab, arguing that improper temperature maintenance could damage the delicate equipment housed within.

Despite this plea, the lab was officially declared sealed, effective April 10.

As for Dr. Narendra Yadav, who remains in police custody, authorities have reported no new statements from him. Investigators are preparing to impose severe sanctions on Mission Hospital, signalling more trouble for the institution in the near future.

--IANS

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