Dozens of indoor files of those patients who died during treatment in the wards at Pt BD Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, have remained unsubmitted to the Medical Record Department (MRD) for nearly a year, raising concern among the authorities as such lapses can lead to litigation and complaints being escalated to higher officials.
In a recent development, the MRD has written to the unit heads of all departments, urging them to direct their postgraduate students to deposit the pending files at the earliest and obtain the necessary no-dues clearance. The move is aimed at preventing unnecessary crowding for no-dues formalities ahead of university examinations. The communiqué also noted that a list of the missing files has already been shared with all unit heads.
“An indoor file is prepared when a patient is admitted to the ward of the PGIMS. In the event of a patient’s death during treatment, the file is converted into a death file and if he/she discharges that file is named as normal file. After discharge or death of a patient, the concerned postgraduate student is required to submit these files to the MRD within a week so that a death certificate can be issued promptly to the family, if requested,” sources said.
The sources said a death certificate was mandatory for claiming insurance benefits, if the patient was covered under any insurance policy. It was also required for several other official purposes. However, it is surprising that many postgraduate students are not bothered to submit such files on time, despite being aware that the delays can not only lead to complaints and litigation but may also be treated as a matter of indiscipline if the deceased’s family members approach the higher authorities over non-issuance of the death certificate by the PGIMS.
“A case of delay in issuing a death certificate by the PGIMS was also raised in the District Public Relations and Grievances Redressal Committee meeting held here in March. Taking serious note of the matter, Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister Krishan Lal Panwar ordered the formation of a committee to scrutinise all birth and death certificates issued by the PGIMS over the past year,” the sources claimed.
The sources added that the directions were issued while hearing a complaint filed by a widow, who alleged that even two years after her husband’s death, she had not been issued the death certificate. The minister further directed that an FIR be registered immediately if any discrepancies were found during the inquiry.
On being contacted, a senior officer of Medical Record Department at the PGIMS refused to comment stating that it’s an internal matter of the institution.