UoH panel to assess if medical negligence led to Rashmi Ranjan's death

HYDERABAD: The University of Hyderabad on Monday constituted a committee including a doctor to investigate if medical negligence had led to the death of 26-year-old PhD scholar Rashmi Ranjan.The committee headed by professor P Suresh from School of Physics will have a government doctor look into the case and also at health-related issues plaguing the campus. The panel will prepare notes of its study within 15 days. Ranjan, a scholar from the School of Physics, had allegedly fallen ill with dengue on November 19, but doctors at the in-campus health centre and a private hospital he was later referred to misdiagnosed him as having viral fever despite his platelet count dropping over the days.

He succumbed to multiple organ failure in the early hours of Sunday, following which the Students Union of the University of Hyderabad and other student organisations launched a day-long protest at the administration block of the campus demanding a third party enquiry into the case and a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the student’s family.

Though the university agreed to reimburse the student’s medical expenses, it did not gone down well with student groups which are demanding that the university give a written commitment to give ex gratia to the bereaved family. “We also have a problem with the time limit offered to the committee. After 15 days, students won’t be on campus and so if the committee fails to give a report then we will not be able to protest or hold the university accountable,” noted Arvind Kumar, cultural secretary of the Students Union.

The university will also look into how Himagiri Hospital, which was previously blacklisted, was again empanelled for the university’s medical insurance scheme. “The status of Himagiri as a referral hospital has been frozen until the report comes,” university spokesperson professor Pavarala said.  The body was cremated at his village in Odisha on Sunday.