87 year old patient dies after fall from bed at Thiruvananthapuram MCH

Thiruvananthapuram: An 87-year-old stroke patient died two days after falling from a cot at Government Medical College (GMC), Thiruvananthapuram, with his family alleging inadequate care following the incident and raising concerns over patient safety at the hospital. 

The patient had been referred from Kollam Government Medical College for specialist treatment and was admitted to Ward 28 of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital on August 26. According to hospital authorities, his son and sister were accompanying him as caregivers.

On August 29, the patient reportedly fell from the hospital bed and suffered injuries to his forehead and face. His relatives alleged that he did not receive timely and appropriate medical attention following the fall and claimed that the delay in treatment contributed to his death.

The family also alleged that the cot provided to the patient did not have protective side rails. They further raised concerns over the time taken for the body to be released after his death. 

According to Kerala Kaumudi, hospital authorities have denied negligence and said the patient was receiving care. They stated that the fall occurred while his son was acting as his caregiver and that the patient had not been left unattended.

According to hospital authorities, the facility does not have enough cots equipped with protective side rails. Such cots are reportedly prioritised for patients without caregivers and those with conditions such as head injuries, delirium or patients receiving psychiatric medication.

The incident has also renewed concerns over patient safety measures at government hospitals. A similar incident was reported in June when a 62-year-old patient with altered sensorium fell from a hospital cot and later died. The need for adequate side-railed cots has previously been highlighted, particularly in view of nursing staff shortages in large public hospitals. 

According to The Hindu, the Medical College Hospital Superintendent said, “We just do not have enough cots with side rails to provide to all elderly patients.”

The hospital administration said a post-mortem was conducted to determine the exact cause of death. The body was released to the family on Monday evening, and the post-mortem report is awaited.