Admission and discharge of a person
admitted as a medicolegal case
Issuance of the discharge certificate
is the mandatory duty of the treating doctor; failure to do so renders the
doctor liable for "negligence" and "deficiency of service
A medicolegal case should be registered as soon as a doctor suspects foul play and the same is applicable on later stage of admission or even if it is brought after several days of the incident.
In some cases, I have found that the patient was admitted in hospital as non MLC but later on after admission of the patient the case required to be converted as MLC and the police was informed. This duty should also be extended in cases of discharged patient. The nearest police station must be informed at the earliest whenever there is an admission, death or discharge of a medicolegal case and a medicolegal register should be maintained with necessary entries of patient details. While discharging or referring the patient, care should be taken to see that he receives the Discharge Card/Referral Letter, complete with the summary of admission, the treatment given in the hospital and the instructions to the patient to be followed after discharge.
In N. K. Kohli v Bajaj Nursing Home, the Madhya Pradesh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission said that "issuance of the discharge certificate is the mandatory duty of the treating doctor and the Nursing Home/ Hospital and the non–issuance of the same amounts to grave negligence and deficiency in service on the part of the doctor and the hospital." If the patient is not serious and can take care of himself, he may be discharged on his own request; after taking in writing from him that he has been explained the possible outcome of such a discharge and that he is going on his own against medical advice. Police have to be informed before the said patient leaves the hospital. Sometimes the patient, registered as a medico–legal case, may abscond from the hospital. The police should be informed immediately, the moment such an instance comes to the notice of the doctor/ hospital staff.
A medicolegal case should be registered as soon as a doctor suspects foul play and the same is applicable on later stage of admission or even if it is brought after several days of the incident.
In some cases, I have found that the patient was admitted in hospital as non MLC but later on after admission of the patient the case required to be converted as MLC and the police was informed. This duty should also be extended in cases of discharged patient. The nearest police station must be informed at the earliest whenever there is an admission, death or discharge of a medicolegal case and a medicolegal register should be maintained with necessary entries of patient details. While discharging or referring the patient, care should be taken to see that he receives the Discharge Card/Referral Letter, complete with the summary of admission, the treatment given in the hospital and the instructions to the patient to be followed after discharge.
In N. K. Kohli v Bajaj Nursing Home, the Madhya Pradesh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission said that "issuance of the discharge certificate is the mandatory duty of the treating doctor and the Nursing Home/ Hospital and the non–issuance of the same amounts to grave negligence and deficiency in service on the part of the doctor and the hospital." If the patient is not serious and can take care of himself, he may be discharged on his own request; after taking in writing from him that he has been explained the possible outcome of such a discharge and that he is going on his own against medical advice. Police have to be informed before the said patient leaves the hospital. Sometimes the patient, registered as a medico–legal case, may abscond from the hospital. The police should be informed immediately, the moment such an instance comes to the notice of the doctor/ hospital staff.
Hi there, That's very serious issue of Medicolegal Services Insights that you has been described in this blog post. The entire process for a patient in the hospital is can be hold as medico legal case.
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