Coimbatore Medical College Hospital allegedly denies heart surgery amid Specialist shortage

Coimbatore: Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has come under media spotlight for allegedly refusing to conduct heart valve surgery for a patient due to the unavailability of doctors and asking him to consult another hospital in Chennai or Madurai. 

According to the patient, he had been receiving medication for the condition at CMCH for three years and was supposed to get his surgery done at this hospital. However, the hospital authorities reportedly postponed his surgery due to a shortage of specialist doctors. As a result, he was asked to undergo the surgery at another hospital.  

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The patient in distress told The Hindu that he cannot afford treatment at private hospitals, as many hospitals do not take cases under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, following which he was receiving treatment at CMCH and was hopeful that his surgery would be performed here. 

The man identified as K. Karthikeyan, an autorickshaw driver from Peelamedu, alleged that he had been receiving medication at CMCH for nearly three years after being diagnosed with a heart valve condition. He was informed about the possibility of a surgical intervention, but his requests were repeatedly postponed. Recently, the hospital had advised him to go to government hospitals in Chennai or Madurai for the surgery, as specialists were not available at CMCH to perform the procedure.

“I cannot afford treatment at private hospitals as the cost is very high. Many hospitals are refusing to take up my case under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS). My condition has worsened to the point where even walking has become difficult,” he said.

Karthikeyan and his wife, parents of two children, submitted a petition to the Coimbatore District Collector on Monday seeking assistance.

When contacted, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Dean A. Nirmala told The Hindu, "Two assistant professor posts in the department that handles such surgeries have been vacant for over four months. We have been providing him with medication and consultations, and I have instructed our doctors to examine him to assess his condition and determine the appropriate course of action. Based on that, we will consider how best to support him."

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