Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) on Tuesday rejected allegations of medical negligence at the Vilappil Community Health Centre (CHC), saying claims that treatment was denied to a now deceased patient were “completely false and unfounded”.

The Association said the patient was examined by the duty doctor within minutes of arriving at the hospital around 1.30 am on January 19 and that emergency treatment was initiated immediately. After assessing the condition, the hospital arranged an ambulance without delay and referred the patient to the Medical College Hospital for specialised care, KGMOA said.

The deceased P Bismir (37) was a native of Kollamkonam. The incident occurred on the night of January 19. The family alleged that Bismir, who was brought to the hospital with severe breathing difficulty, was referred to the Medical College Hospital without being given even primary treatment.

According to the family, the door of the community health centre was opened only after repeatedly pressing the calling bell. Bismir’s wife alleged that when she asked whether CPR would be administered after he lost consciousness, there was no response from the staff and that he was instead shifted into an ambulance. She also claimed that the ambulance did not have an oxygen cylinder.

In its statement, KGMOA said CCTV footage clearly shows the sequence of events, including the patient’s arrival, medical examination, initiation of treatment and referral. It added that the hospital’s main gate remained open at all times and that the grill gate at the building entrance is kept closed only in accordance with safety norms.

Describing the death as “deeply painful”, the Association said it shared the grief of the bereaved family. However, it stressed that the Vilappil CHC provided the maximum possible treatment available at the facility despite a severe shortage of staff and continues to offer round-the-clock services.

The association noted that the hospital functions 24 hours a day even without a dedicated casualty department. “Records show that the patient had a pre-existing cardiac condition and had visited the same hospital with similar symptoms two days earlier, when appropriate treatment was provided. Doctors had then advised the patient to seek specialist care, but the advice was not followed,” KGMOA said.

Condemning what it termed “misleading allegations”, the association said such claims insult the sincere service of healthcare workers. It also criticised an incident on January 24, when a group of political activists allegedly entered the hospital, verbally abused and threatened on-duty doctors and staff, and disrupted hospital operations.