Dublin: Dr. Elankathir Sativel, an Indian-origin consultant anaesthetist, has admitted to professional misconduct before the Medical Council’s Fitness-to-Practice Committee in connection with the death of a patient at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin. The case pertains to a critical error in the administration of oxygen to a severely ill patient diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.
The incident occurred in the early hours of February 24, 2019, when the patient’s endotracheal breathing tube became dislodged in the Intensive Care Unit. Despite being alerted twice by Clinical Nurse Manager Rosanne Kenny and other staff about the situation—after alarms were triggered on the ventilator—Dr. Sativel initially dismissed their concerns, asserting that the tube had not been dislodged and that it had been properly inserted.
Instead of promptly re-intubating the patient, Dr. Sativel delayed appropriate intervention, opting to examine the patient with a stethoscope. This critical delay contributed to the patient’s severe hypoxia, subsequent cardiac arrest, and brain damage, as confirmed in the post-mortem examination. The patient passed away on March 2, 2019, while still under intensive care.
The Medical Council launched its investigation following a formal complaint by Barbara Keogh Dunne, then-General Manager of Connolly Hospital. An internal hospital review also expressed serious concerns regarding Dr. Sativel’s clinical decision-making and its potential impact on patient safety.
During the hearing, counsel Neasa Bird for the Medical Council emphasised the severity of the error, noting that the concerns raised by the nurse should have been promptly acted upon. Two expert witnesses testified that Dr. Sativel’s failure to address the airway issue in a timely manner directly contributed to the patient’s death.
Dr. Sativel also acknowledged additional shortcomings, including a delay in documenting the incident and failure to promptly notify the supervising consultant anaesthetist.
Representing Dr. Sativel, barrister Michael Murphy stated that his client had extended a formal apology to the deceased patient’s family and accepted full responsibility. Murphy described the event as an isolated lapse rather than evidence of ongoing incompetence. He noted that Dr. Sativel had been practicing in Ireland since 2012, qualified as a doctor in 2005, and had served as a Consultant Anaesthetist at the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin since 2020, with no similar incidents reported since.
Chairman Paul Harkin of the Fitness-to-Practice Committee stated that recommendations based on the findings would be submitted to the full Medical Council for consideration. However, the final decision and any potential sanctions will not be made public at this stage.
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