BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Dr. Raval Narendra Kantilal surrendered his physician and surgeon licenses to the Medical Board of California after a pregnant patient underwent a Caesarean section in 2018 at Mercy Hospital and was wheel-chair bound for a year.
According to Medical Board documents, in August 2018 a 34-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to Mercy Hospital for a scheduled Caesarean section.
The patient received a spinal injection but didn't become numb as expected and Dr. Kantilal injected another dose of a spinal anesthetic, and the Caesarean section was performed without issue and the baby was delivered, according to the documents. The patient was taken back to her labor and delivery room and about an hour later became unresponsive with dilated pupils, according to the documents.
The Acute Care Team administered Narcan twice but the patient's condition didn't change, according to the documents.
The patient later suffered Grand Mal seizures and was placed in the Intensive Care Unit and had complete paralysis of her lower body and an MRI of her brain showed edema, according to documents.
She was later transferred to a neurologic ICU before being discharged more than a month later, according to court documents.
The patient used a wheelchair for the next year and later began walking with the assistance of a walker, according to court documents.
A Mercy Hospital investigation determined that digoxin instead of bupivacaine was used, which the doctor denied using, according to documents.
The Medical Board determined gross negligence in its ruling.
