PhD scholar’s death triggers protest, IIT Patna students allege medical negligence

 The students have been protesting seeking justice and compensation for the kin of Dewanand Pandit. Pandit was a fourth-year PhD scholor of mechanical department, who died while undergoing treatment at Netaji Subhas Medical College and Hospital.

Over 300 classmates of a PhD scholar, Dewanand Pandit, who died on October 15, 2022, have accused Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna authorities, of medical negligence. The students have been protesting seeking justice and compensation for the kin of Dewanand Pandit. Pandit was a fourth-year PhD scholor of mechanical department, who died while undergoing treatment at Netaji Subhas Medical College and Hospital, Bihar, on October 15, 2022.  

As per a report published in The Times of India, the agitating students alleged that the death was caused due to medical negligence of the institute and hospital administration. 

‘Family members of deceased were not given any information about his health’ 

The deceased student was a resident of Siwan district and married about two years ago. His friend, who accompanied Dewanand to the hospital, said the hospital did not provide proper medical facility to the patient. Anurag Kumar, who was among the protesters, said, “The family members of Pandit were not given any information about his health. The doctors declared him dead around 10 pm on Saturday.” 

Students also took out a candle march and raised slogans against the institute and hospital administration. “We want justice for our classmate, who died because of medical negligence. The students are sitting on dharna for more than 20 hours, but its director did not bother to meet us. We want that the compensation should be given to his wife and child,” a PhD student Krishna Gujjar said. 

He complained of breathlessness on October 15 after which he went to the NSMCH, Bihta, which has a tie up with the IIT Patna. The hospital did not allow the family members members to meet Dewanand. They asked his family to pay INR 25,000, which they paid. After he was declared dead, the hospital did not handover the body to the family, instead they are still asking to clear the remaining INR 27,000. The institute should ensure better health facilities to the IIT students,” Gujjar said. 

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