Mumbai Mirror: Mumbai: Monday, 10 November 2025.
RTI reveals no progress in
probe into the alleged medical negligence that killed a pregnant woman; NHRC
warns Health Dept of coercive action over continued delay
An internal inquiry into a complaint filed by Kiran Narendra Patil at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) remains incomplete, over nine months after it began, a Right to Information (RTI) response has revealed.
“My wife went into KEM Hospital for treatment and never came back. All I have received are letters saying the inquiry is ‘under process.’ How long does it take to find the truth?” questioned Patil.
His wife Tejaswini Patil, who was 24 weeks pregnant, was referred from a Panvel hospital to KEM in January for what the family described as a minor surgical procedure. Her husband alleges that post-operative negligence at KEM led to her death on January 25. He also accused KEM of overcharging for medicines and diagnostic tests.
According to documents accessed through the RTI, Sion Hospital confirmed that an inquiry committee was constituted under the hospital chief’s directive to examine Patil’s complaint. However, the process has yet to progress beyond the preliminary stage. Officials stated that the report is “still under review,” and no final findings have been submitted.
The RTI response further clarified that the hospital has not communicated with BMC, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), or the state health department regarding the case. When approached for comment, officials declined to elaborate, citing “ongoing proceedings” and confidentiality provisions under the RTI Act. The hospital also withheld certain documents under Section 8(1)(h), which allows denial of information that could “impede the process of investigation or apprehension.”
Despite limited disclosure, the hospital’s Public Information Officer confirmed that the complaint was formally received and that an inquiry committee is active. “We have advised the complainant to file a first appeal within 30 days if dissatisfied with the response. The appeal will be reviewed by Dr Vidya Mahale, Deputy Dean and designated Appellate Authority under the RTI Act, 2005,” said the officer.
“The RTI Act was created to ensure time-bound transparency and accountability,” said Advocate Sarjerao Patil, representing the complainant. “When inquiries drag on indefinitely, justice is delayed and often denied.”
This is not an isolated instance. Over the years, Sion Hospital, like several other civic-run facilities, has faced repeated complaints about staff conduct, administrative lapses, and delayed patient care. Multiple inquiries have been launched, but few have led to concrete outcomes or systemic reforms.
A senior civic health official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Most committees are composed of senior staff who already manage daily hospital operations. Without external oversight, these investigations often remain pending until someone from higher up intervenes.”Audit reports from previous years have consistently shown that complaints lodged against public hospitals under the BMC frequently face long procedural delays.
“Every administrative inquiry must be time-bound ideally concluded within 90 days,” said Advocate Rajesh Chavan, health activist and former member of the BMC’s health committee. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also expressed displeasure over the Health Department’s failure to submit a report on an alleged case of medical negligence at KEM Hospital, which resulted in the death of 32-year-old Tejaswini Patil earlier this year.
Despite multiple reminders since August, the department has not filed its findings, prompting the NHRC to issue a final deadline of December 19 and warn of coercive action under the Protection of Human Rights Act if the report remains pending. An NHRC official confirmed that the Commission is “deeply concerned about the recurring pattern of bureaucratic indifference” in medical negligence cases from Maharashtra.
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| Tejaswini Patil |
An internal inquiry into a complaint filed by Kiran Narendra Patil at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) remains incomplete, over nine months after it began, a Right to Information (RTI) response has revealed.
“My wife went into KEM Hospital for treatment and never came back. All I have received are letters saying the inquiry is ‘under process.’ How long does it take to find the truth?” questioned Patil.
His wife Tejaswini Patil, who was 24 weeks pregnant, was referred from a Panvel hospital to KEM in January for what the family described as a minor surgical procedure. Her husband alleges that post-operative negligence at KEM led to her death on January 25. He also accused KEM of overcharging for medicines and diagnostic tests.
According to documents accessed through the RTI, Sion Hospital confirmed that an inquiry committee was constituted under the hospital chief’s directive to examine Patil’s complaint. However, the process has yet to progress beyond the preliminary stage. Officials stated that the report is “still under review,” and no final findings have been submitted.
The RTI response further clarified that the hospital has not communicated with BMC, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), or the state health department regarding the case. When approached for comment, officials declined to elaborate, citing “ongoing proceedings” and confidentiality provisions under the RTI Act. The hospital also withheld certain documents under Section 8(1)(h), which allows denial of information that could “impede the process of investigation or apprehension.”
Despite limited disclosure, the hospital’s Public Information Officer confirmed that the complaint was formally received and that an inquiry committee is active. “We have advised the complainant to file a first appeal within 30 days if dissatisfied with the response. The appeal will be reviewed by Dr Vidya Mahale, Deputy Dean and designated Appellate Authority under the RTI Act, 2005,” said the officer.
“The RTI Act was created to ensure time-bound transparency and accountability,” said Advocate Sarjerao Patil, representing the complainant. “When inquiries drag on indefinitely, justice is delayed and often denied.”
This is not an isolated instance. Over the years, Sion Hospital, like several other civic-run facilities, has faced repeated complaints about staff conduct, administrative lapses, and delayed patient care. Multiple inquiries have been launched, but few have led to concrete outcomes or systemic reforms.
A senior civic health official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Most committees are composed of senior staff who already manage daily hospital operations. Without external oversight, these investigations often remain pending until someone from higher up intervenes.”Audit reports from previous years have consistently shown that complaints lodged against public hospitals under the BMC frequently face long procedural delays.
“Every administrative inquiry must be time-bound ideally concluded within 90 days,” said Advocate Rajesh Chavan, health activist and former member of the BMC’s health committee. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also expressed displeasure over the Health Department’s failure to submit a report on an alleged case of medical negligence at KEM Hospital, which resulted in the death of 32-year-old Tejaswini Patil earlier this year.
Despite multiple reminders since August, the department has not filed its findings, prompting the NHRC to issue a final deadline of December 19 and warn of coercive action under the Protection of Human Rights Act if the report remains pending. An NHRC official confirmed that the Commission is “deeply concerned about the recurring pattern of bureaucratic indifference” in medical negligence cases from Maharashtra.
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