The Jehangir Hospital here has been charged with allegations of negligence by a group of patients, who were operated upon for various ailments from June 1998 and suffered post-operation complications. The group plans to file a class action suit against the hospital seeking damages for physical and mental agony.

The group is led by hotelier Suresh Talera, whose wife Susheela underwent an operation at Jehangir last June. Talera, who called a press conference, presented at least eight such patients who had suffered post-operative complications, and said he had lodged a complaint with the local police station charging the hospital with negligence.

“We will approach the Director General of Public Health for a through probe into the matter besides taking legal action,” said Talera. On June 2002 Susheela was operated upon in the hospital for removal of gall bladder.

She subsequently developed a post-operative infection, which, according to Talera, resulted due to presence of an atypical tuberculent microbacteria Chelonea in the operation theatre. A few days back after slapping a legal notice for damages worth Rs. 50 lakh on the hospital, Talera issued an advertisement in a national daily calling upon people, who may have contracted infection due to operation at Jehangir.

Talera claims to have received response from 52 persons. He even charged that at least 765 cases of post-operative infections have occurred at Jehangir over the last 15 months and also conceded that he has obtained the said figure from the insiders of the hospital.

Talera also claimed that three such patients even died while many continue to suffer. He said, “They are not adhering to established norms of disinfection, fumigation of operation theatres and use of disinfected surgical instruments.”

However, the hospital authorities have denied the allegation and accused Talera of gathering a crowd and pressurizing the hospital into fulfilling his unjustified demand for compensation of Rs. 50 lakh.

Sainath Pradhan, Jehangir hospital, marketing manager said, “We haven’t received anything in written from Talera regarding those 52 persons. Moreover, all such actions merely intend to malign the image of the hospital.”

In its further clarification, the hospital authorities said that M. Chelonea is a rare bacteria, presents late, is difficult to detect and has been successfully controlled by the hospital. Barring a single case of detection of the bacteria last September, no case has been reported thereafter as all precautionary measures have been taken.