Kerala: Govt Doctor allegedly denies treatment to wheelchair-bound ex-military officer

Thiruvananthapuram: A paraplegic ex-military officer has been allegedly denied treatment by the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College as he was a wheelchair user, triggering a fresh case of controversy.

This comes days after the medical college hospital was caught in a controversy when a patient in need of a kidney transplant died at the medical college hospital allegedly due to a four-hour delay in the procedure, which was earlier reported by the Medical Dialogues team. 

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The patient has been identified as Ajitha Kumar, a native of Peyad and he had gotten into an accident ten years ago following which he began using a wheelchair. He has raised the complaint against the hospital as the latter reportedly denied him treatment because he was a wheelchair user, reports Mathrubhumi.

The patient had reached the Medical College for consultation with Dr Krishnadas on June 15 due to gastro-related issues. However, the staff allegedly told him that wheelchair users could not meet the doctor. 

Kumar said that the doctor told his wife to leave the premises when she entered the room to show her husband's medical records. His wife alleged that the doctor behaved rudely with them. 

Kumar's wife told Mathrubhumi, "He told us wheelchair users should go the other side. When I waited there he asked whether I can't understand what he directed. When I requested him to just go through the reports he placed both hands at his ears and yelled at me to get out of the room. On hearing his yelling, the staff there took Kumar to another doctor."

Following that, Kumar reportedly filed a complaint with the health minister. As per reports, the incident is believed to have taken place after the controversy associated with the kidney transplantation case, however it failed to get attention.