The Jharkhand High Court castigated the state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on Thursday while hearing a case on the death of a woman patient of black fungus due to medical negligence and called for an investigation.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad noted that while doctors had done an excellent job while treating Covid-19 patients since the outbreak of the pandemic, there have been several instances of apathy and inadequate treatment of patients.

The case pertains to Usha Devi, a black fungus patient who died early this month apparently due to delays in much-needed surgery at RIMS despite being in the hospital for over a month. Her children wrote to chief minister Hemant Soren and the chief Justice, seeking their intervention. Ultimately, the court took cognizance after which her surgery was conducted at RIMS, but within days she died.

“Many times attendants of patients live in the dark over the line of treatment and progress of the health condition of the patient as hospitals tend to not inform them properly. The doctors must understand that they are Covid warriors fighting the virus and not their patients,” the bench opined.

The court also asked RIMS director Kameshwar Prasad to explain the reasons behind her death. The director told the court that Usha Devu's operation went well but that she succumbed due to post-surgery complications.

Lashing out at RIMS for delaying her surgery in the first place, the court ordered the director to hold an inquiry and furnish a report via an affidavit.

As on date, 101 confirmed cases of black fungus have been reported in the state while 59 are classified as suspected. As many as 98 have been discharged while 30 people have died, as per a health department bulletin issued on Thursday.