DPP Orders Inquiry into the Deaths of 11 Dialysis Patients in 2021

The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has announced a judicial inquiry into the tragic deaths of 11 dialysis patients at Souillac Hospital during the tumultuous period of Covid-19 in 2021. This inquiry, prompted by a recent communication to Bose Soonarane, the secretary of the Renal Disease Patient’s Association, aims to uncover the true causes behind these untimely fatalities.

“It is a genuine relief,” remarked Soonarane. “After four long years, we have finally secured an inquiry.”

He emphasised that the call for a judicial investigation is not a recent development; it dated back over two years, a time when the reports from the Fact Finding Committee (FFC) and the Medical Negligence Committee had yet to see the light of day.

At that juncture, he noted, the authorities deemed the association’s request insufficiently substantiated to warrant any criminal implications, thus stalling the initiation of a judicial inquiry.

However, with the advent of a new government and the subsequent publication of both reports, the association promptly submitted a comprehensive dossier to the DPP’s office.

Initially, the association had sought a commission of inquiry to elucidate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these 11 patients, which occurred between March and April 2021.

Unfortunately, this request was not realised; instead, a Fact Finding Committee was established.

“We all know that an FFC does not conduct an in-depth investigation,” Soonarane asserted.

He explained that the association had been awaiting the FFC report, hoping it would finally reveal the reasons behind the tragic deaths.

Yet, to their dismay, no findings were ever disclosed.

The bereaved families, too, have been left in the dark, yearning for clarity regarding the loss of their loved ones.

“At that time, they could have sworn an affidavit and brought the matter to court,” he lamented, expressing frustration over the absence of a public report.

Soonarane further lamented the lack of transparency surrounding the Medical Negligence Committee’s findings.

“How can one initiate legal action without possessing crucial information?” he questioned.

Now, with the DPP’s directive for a judicial inquiry, there is a glimmer of hope that the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these 11 dialysis patients will finally be brought to light, and that those responsible will be held accountable for their actions.

Source: l’Express