Alive Patient Declared Dead At Kanpur Hospital, Body Sent For Post Mortem

Three staff members at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur have been suspended after a serious medical lapse in which a living patient was officially recorded as dead, triggering post-mortem procedures.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening at the hospital’s Medicine Ward. Police personnel arrived at the ward to shift the body to the mortuary as part of routine post-death formalities. However, they were shocked to find the patient alive. The mistake was immediately reported to hospital authorities.

Speaking to PTI, Sanjay Kala, principal of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College, under which the hospital operates, confirmed the error. He said three staff members — including a junior resident doctor and a nurse — were placed under suspension pending an inquiry.

“A three-member inquiry committee has been constituted to probe the incident. The committee — consisting of vice-principal Richa Agarwal, chief medical superintendent Saurabh Agarwal and superintendent-in-charge Rakesh Singh — has been directed to submit a fact-finding report within 48 hours. Strict action will be taken based on the findings,” Kala said.

According to the hospital administration, two destitute patients were admitted to adjacent beds in Medicine Ward Number 12. Vinod, aged 42, was admitted to bed number 42, while an unidentified elderly man, believed to be around 60 years old, was placed on bed number 43.

On Saturday, the elderly patient died during the course of treatment. However, due to an alleged documentation error, the junior doctor filled out the medical records of Vinod instead. As a result, Vinod was officially declared dead on paper, even though he was alive.

The incident came to light only when police arrived to move the body for post-mortem examination and noticed that the patient on the bed was breathing.

Hospital officials said the inquiry committee will examine how the mix-up occurred and whether standard medical and documentation protocols were followed. The administration has assured that accountability will be fixed once the investigation report is submitted.

The incident has raised serious concerns about patient safety and record-keeping practices at the hospital.