Amidst mounting protest over the incident in which a 62-year-old H1N1 patient had been turned away from three hospitals in Kottayam, including the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday sent a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanding stringent action against those responsible for the incident.
Terming the incident as a blemish on the State’s health sector, he urged the government to make sure that no such incidents occurred in future. The patient, who had been undergoing treatment for H1N1 influenza at a hospital in Kattapana, was brought at the MCH on Wednesday afternoon but denied admission citing shortage of ventilator facility. Later, the patient was rushed to a private hospital nearby though to no avail.
After being turned away from yet another private hospital, the patient was brought back to the MCH once again. He, however, breathed his last in the ambulance.
According to the victim's relatives, the patient was admitted to a hospital in Kattappana in Idukki two days ago following fever and breathing problems. They accused the doctors at the MCH of even refusing to confirm his death.
Rini, daughter of the deceased, accused the MCH authorities of criminal negligence in handling a patient in critical condition. ‘‘After the doctors on duty refused to attend my father, we approached the hospital PRO. But all our requests for help fell on deaf years. They were not even ready to come out and examine the patient, who was lying unconscious in an ambulance,’’ she said.
Based on her complaint, the Kottayam district police booked a case against the MCH, Carithas Hospital and Matha Hospital under IPC Section 304 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
R. Sreekumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kottayam, will lead the probe.
Taking serious note of the incident, the State government had directed the Medical Education Director to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.
Commenting on the issue, MCH resident medical officer R.P. Ranjin said the hospital had not been informed about the patient’s condition prior to his arrival there. ‘‘We had tried our best to arrange for a ventilator facility at any of the wards. Had we been informed about his arrival well in advance, we could have got enough time to prepare,’’ he said.
The spokespersons for the private hospitals too maintained that they had been unable to admit him as all their ventilator-ICU bed facilities were in use at the time.
A post-mortem on the deceased, carried out at the hospital here on Thursday, revealed that pneumonia was his main cause of death.
Meanwhile, protest is brewing against the three hospitals that allegedly denied admission to the patient with the various political outfits organising protest march to these hospitals. During the protest, a group of people allegedly smashed the flower pots and damaged the front office of a private hospital on Thursday morning.
In view of the raging protests, the police have strengthened security for the hospitals.