Pune: Over 100 Medical Negligence Complaints Pending at Sassoon Hospital Since 2020; Officials Cite Lack of Experts, Coordination
Pune, 5th June 2025: Sassoon General Hospital, a key referral centre for medico-legal inquiries in Pune, is currently sitting on a backlog of 112 unresolved complaints of alleged medical negligence since 2020, according to internal records. The growing delay in addressing these cases has raised concerns about transparency and accountability in the healthcare system.
The hospital, which recently played a pivotal role in guiding police action in a controversial postnatal death case at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, faces mounting pressure to clear these long-pending inquiries.
Administrative hurdles and shortage of medical experts are being cited as the primary reasons for the delay.
“Each case requires the presence of heads from relevant departments, proper documentation, and coordination with the hospital involved—private or government. Unfortunately, our doctors are often tied up with surgeries, outpatient care, or academic responsibilities,” said Dr. Yellappa Jadhav, Medical Superintendent of Sassoon Hospital.
He added that the process of repeatedly seeking medical records from the institutions where the incidents occurred causes further delay.
“We often lose critical time waiting for documents from the hospital concerned. In many cases, it takes several follow-ups before we get even basic information,” Jadhav explained.
Medical Panels Delay Investigations
As per protocol, Sassoon forms expert medical panels when a complaint of death, disability, or improper treatment is filed with the police. These committees—comprising department heads and forensic specialists—are tasked with determining if medical negligence occurred.
However, forming these panels consistently has proven challenging.
In 2020, only seven such committees were constituted despite receiving 17 complaints. The numbers rose in subsequent years—11 in 2021, 20 in 2022, 23 in 2023, and 26 in 2024—but still lag behind the number of complaints filed, which includes 35 new cases in 2024 alone.
“For example, in an orthopaedic-related death, we need to bring together the orthopaedic specialists, forensic experts, and senior administrators. Getting them together at a fixed time is not always feasible,” Jadhav said.
FIR in Recent Postnatal Death Case
The hospital recently formed a committee to probe the March 31 postnatal death of a 37-year-old woman who was allegedly denied admission at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital due to non-payment of a Rs 10 lakh deposit. The panel’s findings led to a criminal case being registered against Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas, a gynaecologist at the hospital.
“Such cases underscore the importance of timely investigation. We are committed to looking into all the complaints pending with us,” Jadhav said, assuring that older complaints will not be ignored.
Need for Systemic Overhaul
Experts believe that the delays highlight a deeper systemic issue in medico-legal processes in public healthcare.
Health activists have urged the state government to allocate dedicated staff and legal support to fast-track investigations into medical negligence, particularly as public confidence in healthcare institutions hinges on accountability.
