Srinagar, May 30, KNT: A senior oncologist has raised serious concerns over Paras Hospital Srinagar’s handling of a fatal surgical mishap and what he describes as a “system error” that wrongly implicated him in the case, intensifying scrutiny on the hospital’s internal protocols and ethical standards.
Dr. Shah Naveed, a well-known surgical oncologist now working with Ujala Cygnus Superspeciality Hospital, Srinagar, publicly denounced the hospital for including his name in the operative note related to the death of a young patient, Wasim Ahmad Pathan, who died during surgery on May 23. Dr. Naveed had resigned from Paras Hospital nearly eight months earlier, on October 1, 2024.“I was not present. I was not involved. I had no role whatsoever in that surgery or incident,” Dr. Naveed clarified in a detailed public statement.
“The order issued by the Chief Medical Officer wrongly listed me among those whose practice was to be halted pending inquiry. This has caused me emotional, reputational, and financial harm,” he added.According to Dr. Naveed, the incorrect inclusion of his name led to official action that damaged his professional standing. The hospital has since issued a formal apology, admitting the error stemmed from an autofill feature in its operation theatre (OT) documentation system, which reused template data from previous surgeries.
The apology, addressed to the Chief Medical Officer, termed the error “clerical” and “deeply regrettable,” claiming that the system automatically inserted Dr. Naveed’s name due to his past association with the hospital and previous collaboration with the lead surgeon, Dr. Sheikh Zahoor.While Paras Hospital has acknowledged the mistake, its explanation has drawn sharp criticism for downplaying a matter of serious professional and ethical consequence. Calling it a mere “template error” in the case of a patient death reflects, at best, poor systems management, and at worst, a glaring disregard for accountability.
That the hospital’s official medical documentation can autofill the name of a doctor who no longer works there, without cross-verification, points to systemic negligence. Even more concerning is how such a fundamental error escaped the review process in a high-stakes surgery setting.Moreover, the hospital’s apology letter, while apologetic in tone, lacks the depth, urgency, and corrective clarity expected in such circumstances. Despite claiming “measures have been taken,” it offers no specific steps, disciplinary actions, or audit trail to prevent future incidents.
This episode has sparked public outrage and calls for a thorough investigation into Paras Hospital’s administrative and medical protocols. “A patient died. A doctor was falsely implicated. And the hospital is treating it like a clerical hiccup,” said a senior health official to the news agency Kashmir News Trust on condition of anonymity.Medical ethics experts have warned that this is not just a case of human error but an institutional failure. Misidentifying a surgeon in a fatal case has serious legal and professional implications, not only for the doctor involved but also for the credibility of medical records used in inquiries and litigation.
As Paras Hospital attempts to contain the fallout, many in the medical fraternity on social media are standing in solidarity with Dr. Naveed and urging authorities to ensure that hospitals are held accountable not just for surgical errors, but also for the integrity of their record-keeping and professional transparency. [KNT]
