Kerala: Health Dept orders probe against two hospitals after kin alleges medical negligence

Kochi: Allegations of medical negligence have been reported against two hospitals at Chalakudy and Kalamassery in Kerala after a complaint was filed by Suchitra S, a lawyer by profession with the health department following her mother's death.   

The complainant approached the health department alleging medical negligence on the part of a private hospital in Chalakudy and the government hospital in Kalamassery. According to her complaint, the negligence on the part of the doctors in treating her 65-year-old mother, Susheela Devi caused the latter's death on April 3, reports the Times of India.

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Susheela suffered from various issues including an inability to open her eyes. She was first taken to Chalakudy hospital where she was already getting treated for over six years because of psychiatric issues. After she was admitted to the private hospital for nearly eight days, her health conditions began to worsen. 

Suchitra alleged, "My mother was not eating and was unable to open her eyes. She was complaining of other discomforts as well. We rushed her to the hospital but had to wait 30 to 45 minutes before a doctor attended to her. The doctor who had treated my mother at the hospital had diagnosed her with OCD issues, and she was undergoing treatment for that. Later it was identified that she was suffering from catatonia, a neuropsychiatric disorder."

Suchitra alleged that during her mother's treatment, a nurse at the private hospital inserted a nasogastric tube into her mother's lungs instead of the stomach for feeding. Her mother was shifted to the Kalamassery medical college hospital (MCH) on March 31, where she passed away three days later. 

She said, "A nursing student was feeding my mother. As the tube was inserted into the lungs instead of the stomach, the food entered the lungs, causing infection later. My mother was then admitted to the ICU as her condition worsened. As I am not financially sound, I took my mother to the government hospital in Kalamassery, where a CT scan of my mother's lungs found the right side to be partially damaged. Even in the government hospital, the doctors did not give proper care. All these led to my mother's death on April 3. I knocked on many doors seeking justice for my mother, but in vain as the concerned authorities are not ready to offend the doctors, who treated my mother."

Speaking to TNIE about the incident, Suchitra said, "While under treatment at the Chalakudy hospital, nursing students had taken care of her in the ICU. The tube for food intake was inserted in the lungs rather than the food pipe. The hospital authorities have admitted that they inserted the tube in the lungs. They had also fed her through the tube but identified it only later. After that, my mother was never the same again. She was shifted to the medical college hospital, where they said her right lung was damaged. She was diagnosed with pneumonia in the end."

Following the complaint, the state health department has directed the Additional Director (vigilance) in the department to submit a detailed report after investigation. Suchitra is reported to have written to the chief minister, health minister, and the Human Rights Commission regarding the incident complaining about the alleged medical negligence. She added that she had also approached Health Minister Veena George when the latter had come to Kochi to campaign for the Thrikkakara byelection. 

The order was issued by the health department on July 3, which has directed the Additional Director to submit the report in a month, reports TOI. Meanwhile, the Ernakulam collector issued another dated June 7 directing the district medical officer to set up a medical board and conduct a probe on Suchitra's allegations and submit the report in two weeks. 

Susheela's final rites were conducted at her native place in Kollam, and the police said that no case had been registered yet. 

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