The sheer ignorance and arrogance of "experts" who are supposed to assist in / be responsible for the ultimate moment--the miracle of life. Fucktards.
Reading it was enough. I don't have the strength to write it all out again. Go over and check Rashmi's story at The Mad Momma's. I pray that Rashmi wins the good fight. I bow in respect to the woman's calm strength and conviction.
18 comments:
We write to you in connection with the story of Rashmi BT's experience at Wockhardt hospitals. While we are firmly behind her at this time of extreme grief as an institution we thought it appropriate to bring it to the public domain our version and what we believe actually happened The below mail gives you the complete details of the case.
However in case anyone of you does not have the time to go through the same in detail we would like to let you know that Wockhardt Hospitals had followed all the necessary medical protocols that any reputed institution across the globe would have followed. We have always tried to question the limits to which medical science can progress and have been also largely responsible for the positive changes that the Indian healthcare industry has been witnessing in recent years. It is but unfortunate that certain risks in medicine cannot be completely mitigated how much ever one might strive.
You can read the details of Rashmi Story at our blog at
The Real Truth of Rashmi BT STory
I publish your comment for the sake of fairness. But, it fails to convince me that everything was done right from your side.
Request you to take necessary precautions so that such tragedies do not recur.
Oh my god!!
I am so mad!!
I was much more mad at the Wockhardt buggers after reading there post. They are just trying to save their asses in the dumbest possible way.
Innit, Nits?
Perfect boilerplate text they had ready for publishing in the media if they needed to.
I'm sure women who read this will not recommend said organization to any MTBs. But then, it's not about bringing down their business. It's about making them accept their mistake and not offer bullshit like "You will conceive again." Rather, it should shake them to their roots so that they never again take their business of health and lives so lightly.
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=309894139919911718&postID=7115094264663546505&isPopup=true
Hmm, some raw nerve touched there. But will tat result in appropriate care in the required circumstances? I doubt.
Besides, now they call it her grief? After telling her at her face, right when her child was dying that she could conceive again? Shudder!
Ho hum. Here we go again. I've been pasting this wherever I've seen Wockhardt's pathetic response. CTRL V zindabad:
I have personally met with the medical services director and the customer services head of Wockhardt regarding this case. Disagree with Wockhardt’s rebuttal on a couple of points:
1. Rashmi did not shift to Dr. Latha in her 35th week because she “wanted” a VBAC. She shifted because she was until that time in Jammu, where her husband was posted. A cousin of Dr. Latha’s referred her to Dr. Latha. Rashmi had never heard the term “VBAC” until Dr. Latha brought it up.
2. Although the ROCG does prescribe certain guidelines they are meant for women with the build of a Caucasian, not for Indian women; also, we lack the kind of processes and facilities that are available in the West, as this case clearly indicates.
3. The so-called “notations” in the OPD file indicating that risks, pros and cons were discussed with her is simply a scrawl on a prescription pad which says “VBAC discussed with patient”. In fact, I had asked Dr. Lloyd Nazareth, the Medical Services Director, the specific question: “What is the process Wockhardt follows for ensuring that a patient has understood the risks of a particular procedure? For example, do you hand out a pamphlet that explains the process and then take a signature saying “read and understood”? His answer: “We have no such process. In this case, the words “procedure discussed” have been written on a prescription pad by the consultant gynaecologist, and we as hospital management take this to imply that the consultant has explained a procedure in-depth, discussed its risks, and addressed a patient’s concerns regarding the procedure.” I then asked how the word “discussed” could measure the quality of a discussion, and got no response. The hospital lacks basic processes for obtaining a patient’s informed consent.
I won’t even bother further refuting Wockhardt’s response, except to ask why the poster has not addressed the following issues:
Fraudulent billing; post-facto notations on patient records (in different colored inks, no less!); lack of basic working apparatus…
Makes me want to either laugh, or be sick.
Also while I'm at it... want to address two questions.
1. The one everyone's asking: Why isn't she going to press?
Because the press has its own agenda, and she isn’t looking at 15 minutes of blazing fame and sensationalism. Instead, she is looking at reaching out to as many people as possible – letting them know what they can expect from one of Bangalore’s so-called “premium” hospitals, making sure that no one else goes through what she went through, is still going through. Her story as you have read it is a bare-bones version… the “long” version is worse. Much worse. When she encounters a journo she is comfortable with, I know she will tell her story via that medium too.
2. The question no one has asked: how is Rashmi doing? Emotionally, much better. The overwhelming support of doctors, lawyers, and just ordinary people from all over India who have read her story have gone some way towards repairing the damage to her spirit. Her faith in human decency is being restored. Her faith in doctors, however, is nowhere near being replenished – she still complains of bad shoulder and neck pain, an aching, sometimes excruciating pelvic region, and is reluctant to visit a doctor. She has promised to do so this week. Let’s see…
Thanks for your response, Suman. It's amazing to see people stand by others and stick up for what they think is right.
"...reluctant to visit a doctor"
Now that should help anyone imagine how traumatized she is! I pray that she heals soon--physically and emotionally.
"Sticking by people" etc... I met Rashmi for the very first time on Apr 2. She isn't someone I've known for very long, and I'm ashamed to say that I initially thought that some of her allegations were coming from pure emotion. But my curiosity was piqued, and once I had met with the hospital management and taken her records to several doctors, I knew that I wouldn't have been able to look at myself in the mirror for a long time if I didn't do something - anything - to help.
On that note, here are 10 questions I'd like to see answered by Wockhardt Hospitals. I intend to ask these questions on every possible platform:
1. Why is Dr. Latha’s notation in the OPD record regarding Dr. Prabha as her “co-consultant” made only on the 28th of Feb., AFTER Rashmi’s predicted due date? Would that be a good time for a patient who is past her due date to switch her obstetrician, or even make enquiries about the qualifications and credentials of the co-consultant?
2. Since Dr. Latha is such an experienced VBAC practitioner who follows ROCG and other foreign-body guidelines, please publish the guidelines she followed, and match Rashmi’s records against them.
3. Rashmi’s key question: “If I have paid for doctors who were fellows and members of the Royal College of Obstetricians, why was the registrar attempting to deliver me?”
4. Another key question from Rashmi: “Why did an experienced doctor like Dr. Prabha not recognize signs of uterine rupture? I was yelling with pain in the labour ward and kept pointing at my stomach and telling her that there was a ripping pain in my stomach. I complained of shoulder pain and chest pain in the OT she still did not recognize the rupture. She admitted that she knew of the rupture only when she opened me? Why?”
5. Registrar Dr. Shirley had announced that Rashmi would deliver by 1.30 p.m. What was Dr. Prabha doing in OPD at that time? Uterine rupture does not happen suddenly but over a period of time… during which Rashmi was attended by a registrar who is NOT an ROCG-qualified doctor.
6. Why did it take 43 mins to conduct an emergency C-section? Baby fetal heart rate was down to 58 bpm at 1.50 p.m. and baby was extracted at 2.33 p.m.
7. Why was the fetal monitor not connected in the OT? Is this what VBAC guidelines specify?
8. If the baby had a heartbeat of 180 bmp, how is it possible for the outcome to be a baby without heartbeat and respiration at birth?
9. Would an internal review with your own gynecologists and external gynecologists who are close aides of Dr. Latha be unbiased? Why have you refused to conduct a transparent review that includes the inputs of Dr. Prakash Kini and Dr. Narayanan, two obstetricians widely recognized as Bangalore’s seniormost obstetricians, as requested by Rashmi?
10. Finally: Please have this case put up for review in the next conference of BSOG and FOGSI and have the proceedings covered by the press.
Questions to Rashmi
1. Was she aware of the risks of VBAC
2. Did she ever opt for LSCS
3. If so why she did not consult a doctor who could have done LSCS
It is a common thing we see on the roads when a two wheeler and a pedestrian dash, the illiterate rowdy mob just thrash the two wheeler driver
When a two wheeler and a four wheeler dash, the four wheeler is immediately thrashed, even without trying to find who is at fault
Similarly in this case as Rashmi has lost her baby, everyone is training the guns on the hospital, conveniently forgetting other facts
Previous poster "Neil" has posted the exact same thing here:
http://vijayashankar.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/a-reply-from-wockhardt-bangalore/
Please read my exchange with him. He is a doctor, and his attitude "mother should have seen the net and consulted experts, either before opting for the procedure or at the least atleast before her due date” echoes that of Dr. Latha.
So, er, why do we need doctors? We have the Internet, right?
Neil: Did you even read her email? The woman sure knew what she was doing, and then trusted the doctors, because it's supposed to be a reputed organization. There's no mob simply trying to lynch the guy with the bigger vehicle here.
Do you read any of our blogs? If you did, you'd notice that we're fairly sane and rational people, who give an ear to both sides of the story.
Pbhft! Why am I answering some anon guy?! I can't see your blog, and your profile is not even publicly shared. Shoo!
See whole sad thread here:
http://vijayashankar.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/a-reply-from-wockhardt-bangalore/#comment-698
Yeesh! Am stopping now. Is disgustapitatin' moi.
Name: Rashmi
Subject: Latha Venkataram
Date: 2009-04-21
Hi Andy,
I have lost my baby recently due to Dr Latha´ s negligence and misjudgement at Wockhardt. Is there any way I can get in touch with you. I need your help. I want to stop this woman before she ruins another womans life.
This post is at http://www.indiaparenting.com/boards/showmessage.cgi?messageid=328&table_name=dis_c_section
I wonder what the real intention of Rashmi is .. to stop Dr Latha from practising her profession or is this the real nature of the fight against Rashmi...
By this time I am convinced that this seems to be a big corporate scam to be unravelling soon. I wont be surpised if there is something else that meets the eye
BTW pallu I have no desire to hide my face. BTW i am eager to show my face but the only issue is.. I dont know how to .. any help would be acknowledged
Neil, I apologize. Since neither your profile nor your blog was traceable, I took you to be one of the trolls who keep surfacing when such topics are discussed. Sorry about that.
I found from Suman's link that you do have a genuine page and are arguing the other side of the case. Well, I just hope this does not turn out to be a corporate scam. Rashmi's case seems very genuine.
This is just...sad!
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