Jaslok Hospital: "Punctured Lungs, Trial Drug & Errors Killed My Wife"

Retired Naval Officer Alleges Medical Negligence at Jaslok Hospital Led to Wife’s Death

A retired commander of the Indian Navy, Vidyut Kak, has accused Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai of medical negligence, claiming it led to the death of his wife, Kavita Kuchroo. According to Kak, what began as a routine kidney transplant procedure spiraled into a series of complications, ultimately costing her life.

Kavita, a former scientific officer at the Tata Institute, had retired in 2008 after the family relocated to Gurugram. Kak said they chose Jaslok Hospital for the transplant because the couple had previously lived in Mumbai, her uncle — transplant surgeon Dr. Raina — worked there, and the hospital claimed a 100 percent success rate in such surgeries.

Kak recounted that his 84-year-old mother volunteered as the donor for organ transplantation, and their kidneys were a perfect match. Kavita was admitted on July 9, 2024, and underwent surgery on July 11. “The operation went smoothly, the new kidney was functioning well, and doctors initially said she could be discharged within 15 days,” he said.

However, events took a turn days before her planned release. Kavita was moved to a private room on July 24 for discharge preparations, but the next morning she developed a fever. By July 29, she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Kak alleged that she contracted the virus while in the hospital’s care, as she had been admitted since early July.

He further claimed there was little infection control in the ICU, with staff and visitors moving freely without masks. Soon after, Kavita developed a severe fungal infection, her breathing worsened, and her lungs became further compromised. “It all started with the COVID infection in the hospital,” Kak said, alleging this set off the cascade of complications that led to her death.

Patient’s Condition Allegedly Worsened by Botched Procedure and Infections at Jaslok Hospital

Questions continue to mount over how a high-risk organ transplant patient contracted COVID-19 and a severe fungal infection while under the prolonged care of the hospital. Vidyut Kak alleges the negligence did not end there — claiming doctors further endangered his wife’s life by forcefully inserting a feeding tube, causing damage to her food pipe.

According to Kak, on August 21, 2024, he demanded a change in the treating pulmonologist after losing confidence in the doctor’s approach. The head of department reviewed Kavita’s case and recommended placing her on a ventilator, saying this should have been done earlier. However, Kak said the second-opinion doctor never returned, and treatment reverted to the same physician he had objected to.

Before ventilator support could begin, staff attempted to insert a feeding tube through Kavita’s nose to her stomach. “When it wouldn’t pass, the standard protocol should have been to stop — instead, they kept forcing it, trying four or five times,” Kak alleged. The procedure was eventually done under endoscopic guidance, where records noted a hematoma. He claims this injury, caused by repeated force, heightened her risk of infection.

Kak also accused the hospital of failing to maintain safe conditions during ongoing construction and renovation. He said dust and airborne particles in such settings can increase the risk of fungal spores spreading. When Kavita was moved to a different ICU, additional fungal infections were diagnosed, some of them severe.

Despite being placed on a ventilator and undergoing physiotherapy with the promise of gradual recovery, her condition deteriorated. By early September, doctors informed Kak that his wife had developed a multi-drug resistant infection, further complicating treatment.

Trial Drug, Alleged Procedural Lapses, and Rapid Deterioration

Vidyut Kak alleges that the multi-drug resistant infection his wife developed was yet another case of a hospital-acquired illness, following earlier COVID-19 and fungal infections. But according to him, the most shocking incident came when doctors proposed administering a trial drug.

Kak said he was told by Dr. Bahadur that a Wockhardt-manufactured experimental medicine might help combat the infection. “They said there was no other option and made me sign an application to the Drugs Controller of India for compassionate use,” he recalled. He claims no one explained potential risks, with staff repeatedly assuring him the drug was “very safe.” Only later, after reading about its main ingredient, Cefepime, did he learn that the drug has many side effects, requiring caution in transplant and kidney patients.

On September 14, before the drug arrived, doctors performed a bronchoscopy to investigate a patch in Kavita’s lung. Kak described witnessing emergency trolleys rushing into the ICU and later finding his wife’s face and body swollen with air. “They told me she had breathing trouble and needed CPR, but the X-ray showed tension pneumothorax — something that can happen if the lungs are pierced, which shouldn’t occur in a hospital of Jaslok’s reputation,” he alleged.

Two days later, on September 16, the trial drug was administered. Kak noticed Kavita appeared unusually dull the next morning and raised concerns, but doctors dismissed the possibility of side effects. The medication continued until September 19, when she suffered seizures. "A neurologist noted that the seizures were Cefepime-induced, after which the drug was finally stopped," states Kak. 

Final Days Marked by Sudden Complications

Kak said the downward spiral began after the September 14 incident, with his wife’s hemoglobin levels fluctuating without investigation. On September 24 — her birthday — doctors informed him she had suffered massive internal bleeding, losing 1.8 liters of blood. A radiologist later identified and patched a leaking blood vessel.

In her final days, fluid overload became a pressing concern. On the night of September 27, she was placed on a slow dialysis regimen to remove excess fluid caused by repeated transfusions. Staff initially reported steady progress, but by the next morning, the fluid level had risen sharply. “Her transplanted kidney was still functioning, but her lungs were full of fluid and she couldn’t breathe,” Kak recounted. Kavita died on September 28, 2024, after more than two months in hospital care.

Kak maintains that what he witnessed was not a single error but a series of preventable lapses — from infection control failures to unsafe procedures and questionable drug administration — that cumulatively led to his wife’s untimely death.

Family Alleges Institutional Neglect

Kavita Kuchroo’s death has left what her family describes as a permanent void. Since the tragedy, her husband, retired Navy officer Vidyut Kak, has dedicated himself to seeking accountability from Jaslok Hospital.

Her brother, Kowshik Kuchroo, said the loss had deeply affected every member of the family, including their 85-year-old father. “Our father refuses to speak about it — both because of grief and because he lost our mother in the same hospital,” Kowshik alleged. He claimed that the institution’s once-esteemed reputation no longer matches the level of care provided.

Kowshik also criticised the hospital’s senior management and doctors, questioning how certain specialists could hold director-level ICU positions at multiple hospitals while allegedly failing to attend to patients adequately. He cited a senior ICU Director at Jaslok who also happens to hold a senior position in another famous hospital in Mumbai, as being absent for weeks during Kavita’s hospitalisation. “There’s no retirement age for these doctors. They act like gods, and patients’ families wait hours for a few minutes of their presence,” he said, adding that his own trust in India’s medical profession had been “completely broken” after his sister's death.

Jaslok Hospital Responds to The Probe

When contacted for a response to the allegations of medical negligence, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre did not answer specific questions but issued a standard statement to us which read: “Our deepest condolences go out to Mrs. Kuchroo’s family and all who have been affected during this difficult time. Mrs. Kuchroo was admitted for a renal transplant and remained hospitalised for over three months due to COVID-19–related complications; during this time, our team adhered to international protocols and delivered the highest standard of care,” the statement read.

The hospital added that, as the matter is sub judice, it could not offer further comments. “We have fully cooperated with concerned authorities and shared all relevant information with the patient’s family and appropriate legal bodies. At Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, the well-being, dignity, and care of our patients remain our highest priority, and we are committed to upholding the trust placed in us,” the statement concluded.

Legal Battle for Accountability Continues

Kak has filed a complaint with the Haryana Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, alleging that his wife’s death was the result of medical negligence, gross deficiency in services, and unfair trade practices at Jaslok Hospital. The Commission has issued notices to the hospital and the doctors involved, with the next hearing scheduled for October.