Ghaziabad, Oct 26 (IANS): Authorities are contemplating action against at least two employees of a government hospital here after a patient died without being attended to for eight days.

Ghaziabad District Magistrate Vimal Kumar Sharma has sent a preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government on what is being seen here as a clear case of criminal negligence.

City Magistrate Kapil Singh said the report concurred with his own findings along with Chief Medical Officer Ajay Agrawal.

The patient who died, Gopal Singh, 60, was mentioned “absconding” in hospital records, six hours after his admission on the afternoon of Oct 17. He was found lying dead in the hospital premises Oct 25.

"He remained unattended for eight days in the hospital,” Kapil Singh said.

The man was brought to the hospital by a Piyush Sharma, who found the victim outside a de-addiction centre.

"The pharmacist and the ward in-charge are responsible for the lapse,” said Agrawal.

The hospital’s chief medical superintendent, Sandeep Panwar, said the victim was a drug addict who needed rehabilitation. “We did our best.”