Man's death at Neyyatinkara Gen Hospital: Expert committee visits hospital, report to be submitted soon
An expert committee will report on a man's death after alleged delayed emergency care. Security staff have been removed pending further action.
An expert committee will report on a man's death after alleged delayed emergency care. Security staff have been removed pending further action.
An expert committee will report on a man's death after alleged delayed emergency care. Security staff have been removed pending further action.
Following the death of a 53-year-old man at Neyyattinkara District General Hospital after he was allegedly denied timely emergency care, Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan on Friday said an expert committee constituted on his directions would soon submit its report on the incident.
The minister also announced that the hospital's security staff had been removed from duty following the incident.
The deceased, Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Maruthathoor near Neyyattinkara Railway Station, was taken to the hospital after developing severe chest pain. His family and local representatives alleged that he was denied timely medical attention after security personnel asked him to wait in the outpatient queue instead of allowing him to consult a doctor immediately. Rajesh reportedly spent more than 30 minutes in the queue waiting for an ECG before collapsing on Thursday.
The disciplinary action against the security staff was taken based on a complaint filed by Rajesh's relatives, the minister said in a press release.
According to the release, the expert committee constituted by the Director of the Health Department visited the hospital on Friday. The committee comprises Dr Bindu Mohan (Additional Director of the Health Department and Thiruvananthapuram DMO), Dr E Rajendran and Dr K Sandeep (both Additional Directors), Dr Neema P Karthikeyan (Consultant, Department of General Medicine, Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital), Dr S Priya (Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College), and Dr Sooraj (Thiruvananthapuram District Ardram Coordinator). The committee is expected to submit its report soon, following which further action will be taken, the minister said.
Soon after the incident, Muraleedharan directed the District Medical Officer (DMO) to conduct an immediate inquiry and submit a report. He asked the DMO to ascertain whether any lapses had occurred and said strict action would be taken against those found responsible for negligence based on the inquiry findings.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMOA) urged the state government to strengthen emergency care in public hospitals by implementing a triage system and deploying additional doctors and support staff.
The association attributed the incident to overcrowded casualty units, where patients with minor ailments often seek treatment alongside emergency and medico-legal cases, placing excessive pressure on doctors and delaying care for critically ill patients.
The KGMOA also highlighted the shortage of medical personnel, noting that only one doctor was on duty in the casualty ward at Neyyattinkara District General Hospital despite the heavy patient load on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Neyyattinkara police have registered a case under Section 194 (unnatural death) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and launched an investigation into the incident.