Patient dies after allegedly being asked to wait in queue at Kerala Hospital

Thiruvananthapuram: In a shocking incident, a 52-year-old man allegedly died after being asked to stand in a queue despite complaining of severe chest pain at Neyyattinkara General Hospital, raising serious concerns over the handling of medical emergencies at government hospitals. 

The deceased had reportedly visited the hospital seeking immediate medical attention for chest pain. According to his family, hospital authorities ignored their repeated requests for urgent treatment and allegedly asked him to wait in the queue along with other patients.

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Family members claimed that the patient remained waiting for nearly 30 minutes before collapsing on the hospital verandah. Doctors and medical staff rushed to provide emergency care, but their efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

The incident led to a tense situation at the hospital, with the patient's relatives and members of the public accusing hospital authorities of denying him timely emergency care. The grieving family staged a protest and engaged in a heated exchange with hospital staff, insisting they would not accept the body until a proper inquiry into the incident was conducted. 

Neyyattinkara Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sunil Kumar confirmed that a complaint had been received and said a detailed investigation would be launched to determine whether there was any negligence.

Hospital superintendent Dr Joy John said the matter is under examination and that an internal inquiry has been initiated. He added that the investigation would establish whether any lapse occurred in providing timely medical treatment.

Meanwhile, health minister K Muraleedharan sought an urgent report from the district medical officer regarding the incident. He directed officials to ascertain whether the patient was made to wait despite being in a critical condition and said strict action would be taken against those responsible if any lapse is found, reports TOI.

In a Facebook post, Dr Haris said on Friday that patients arriving with chest pain should not be made to wait for routine procedures such as taking an OP ticket or standing in queues. "Chest pain is an indication of heart disease, and it is a known fact that a patient can suffer a heart attack within minutes. Such patients should be immediately admitted to the emergency department and then shifted to the ICU for observation," he said, reports Onmanorama. 

Dr Haris also questioned the hospital's claim that a referral had been issued to shift the patient to the Government Medical College Hospital. He said that simply providing a referral was not an adequate response in a suspected cardiac emergency. He called for a detailed probe into the circumstances surrounding the patient's death and urged authorities to take appropriate action if any shortcomings were found. 

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