Publisher - Sri Foundation

Online Edition

Saddled with allegations ofneglect surrounding the 1994fire at Southside RegionalMedical Center in which four people died, former chief ofstaff, Dr. Gopinath Jadhav, sayshe has no further comment on the matter.

Dr. Jadhav spoke to a Virginia Times reporter last fallwho shared with him various allegations, some of which pertained to the doctor's affiliation with the hospital that NewYear's eve, more than 10years ago.

Although sources list Dr.Jadhav as the hospital's chief ofstaff at the time, the recentlyelected State Board of Medicine member has denied having anyaffiliation with the hospitalwhen the tragedy occurred.

In two separate interviewslast October, the doctor stated he was out of the country andwas not informed of the incident until he came back to the U.S.

"I had no affiliation with the hospital at the time," said Dr.Jadhav. "I heard about the fire through watching the newswhen I arrived home."

According to Dr. Jadhav, histerm as chief of staff had already expired by the time theincident occurred.

State law requires hospitalsto have an accurate emergencyroom rotating schedule for doctors that are on call. However, a detailed fire report published bythe U.S. Fire Administration highlighted that the incidentcommander had no hospitalrepresentative to communicatewith until an hour and a half after arriving on scene.

No charges were ever filed inthe fire, in which several nurses and firefighters were also injured.

However, while allegationsstate some blame appears tohave been placed on a nursewho was on duty in the roomthat caught fire, none was everofficially leveled at hospital administrators.

Allegations also state that thepatient who shared the roomwith the patient responsible forsetting the fire, had voiced concerns earlier about her roommate's mental stability.

That patient, according to the allegations, had been previously restrained to her bed. An oxygen tank in close proximity which was being used by her roommate, ignited when the former patient attempted to light a cigarette, causing the room to catch fire.

A source close to the situation who spoke under conditions of anonymity, was recently quoted in a telephone conversation as saying, "the patientcalled someone on the hospitalfloor that afternoon to say herroommate was dangerous andshould be removed from the room."

Further allegations contendthat a psychiatrist who had beenattending the patient who caused the fire, failed to call back (after being notified sheposed a danger to others) untilafter word of the fire had been made known. "He was beingpaged, but showed up at thehospital only after the four people had died."

"He was on call that evening,but he was in Richmond partying," the source alleged.Additionally, there were speculations that the hospital's firedetectors may have been ineffective, contributing to a delayof response by staff.

It was also reported thatemergency response workershad a problem while transferring patients from the fire. As aresult of patients being exposedto smoke, the hospital wasforced to borrow portable oxygen cylinders from fire departments on the scene.

‘No rules and regulations’ alleged at John Randolph
A former John Randolph Medical Center insider claims there are no bylaws, rules, or regulations in place when patient care is compromised at the 271-bed Hopewell hospital

SRMC physician: ‘There’s a mechanism of truth’
A Southside Regional Medical Center physician has joined the bandwagon of disillusioned former patients, doctors and nurses who have been pointing fingers at the hospital in

Physician’s license suspended;which others will follow?
The plight of a Newport News physician whose license was suspended by emergency order after the death of a chronically pain patient, is just one more look into how medical

Source: Patient care at JRMC lacked $5 face mask
According to a source, a couple months ago, two employees at John Randolph Medical Center brought up a situation involving a code that happened in the radiology suite

SRMC ad draws critcism
Sources say that shortly after Southside Regional Medical Center Chief Operating Office David Fikse placed advertisements denouncing articles published in the Virginia Times

JRMC upset over articles, another patient accuses Jadhav

Letters to the Editor
This is a copy of a letter written last week to Dr. William Harp, executive director of the Virginia Board of Medicine. The writer faxed it to the Times for use on the editorial pages

Local woman blasts physicians
When Petersburg resident Patricia Fitzgerald was recommended in 1996 by her primary care physician Dr. Mark Ende to Dr. J. Rayudu for a gall bladder removal, she never

Deaths, fraud, physicians’ negligence at SRMC true

Victory eludes Petersburg woman embroiled in malpractice, breach of contract suits

Allegations: ‘Hofheimer botched,covered up SRMC investigations’
According to a source, an investigation launched in 2001 to look into Southside Regional Medical Center’s certifi cation and to get offi cials to correct several instances of

Board of Medicine to investigate Jadhav

From the publisher
Gov. Mark R. Warner’s press secretary has told the Virginia Times that in response the newspaper’s inquiries concerning the appointment last year of Dr. Gopinath Jadhav by

Former SRMC employee claims she was forced out of her job for speaking out

Local citizens express frustration over lack of attention at hospital

No word from Warner on medical board appointee
It’s no coincidence that four people allegedly involved in a scandal surrounding the same hospital were appointed to various state boards by Gov. Mark R. Warner. Virginia, it

SRMC internist settles out of court
The Virginia Times learned early Monday that one of the doctors involved in alleged scandals at Southside Regional Medical Center, has settled out of court with the family of

HIPAA violations at SRMC
Family members of an elderly woman, whom they claim was provided such bad care while a patient at Southside Regional Medical Center, say that after the patient transferred to a

Replacement facility may target the elderly
The way may have been paved for construction of a replacement hospital in Petersburg, but that doesn’t hush the growl of residents who live in close proximity of the current

Woman: ‘They kept saying nothing was wrong with me’
PETERSBURG – Ramona Johnson gets the chills anytime someone mentions Southside Regional Medical Center.  That’s because of the frightening ordeals she says she

Incidences of substandard care leveled at hospital
Additional people have come forward with allegations challenging the level of care patients have been receiving at Southside Regional Medical Center since it became

Blatant peer review fraud involving SRMC
After recent allegations of misconduct surfacing around Dr. Akshay Dave, MD, a local physician, several attempts have been made by Virginia Times staff to contact the doctor,

Silent phone calls target local doctor’s office

Minority physicians at SRMC claim they’re more often taken to task
Quality Assurance reports have been at the center of contention between minority and non-minority doctors for years at Southside Regional Medical Center, according to a

Dance: ‘Concerns involving SRMC were brought to my attention’
Petersburg-Former Petersburg Mayor Rosalyn Dance said she was given first hand knowledge of plans to sell Southside Regional Medical Center. And for the most part,

Times may be target of corporate sabotage
CHESTER - Local Richmond television stations fl ocked to the Virginia Times news room on Friday after the chair of the foundation which pubishes the newspaper called a press

Claims of malfaeasance continue to plague attorney general's office

McKenney woman:‘SRMC would have let me die’
A McKenney woman has come forward on behalf of herself and several other people who allege they were victimized at some time or another by doctors and administrators at

Height of ‘peer review corruption’ at hospital

Hospital reneges on indigent care among ongoing allegations

‘Hush, hush, hush’ continues at SRMC
Another victim has stepped forwardin the ongoing saga of documented and alledged sex scandals pointed atSouthside Regional Medical Center

SRMC remains shrouded in mystery
PETERSBURG - The 1994 fi re at Southside Regional Medical Center, which killed four patients sparked heavy concern that indigent care may have played a factor

Events leading to fatal hospital fire still unclear
It's been more than10 yearssince a fire killed four patients at Southside Regional MedicalCenter