45-day-old Infant dies at Govt Hospital, parents blame Inadequate Facilities
Tirunelveli: In a tragic incident, a 45-day-old infant, allegedly died due to a lack of proper medical care at Kandiyaperi Government Peripheral Hospital, which is attached to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH).
The family alleges that the infant, who was suffering from nosebleeds, did not receive the necessary medical attention, and they are holding the hospital responsible for the infant's untimely death.
The infant, the son of an ex-serviceman, was born 45 days ago at TvMCH, was initially discharged five days after birth and had been doing well. However, after receiving a vaccination at an Anganwadi centre in Kandiyaperi on Wednesday, the baby developed a nosebleed on Thursday morning. This prompted the family to call for an ambulance to seek immediate medical attention.
Speaking to TNIE, the child’s grandfather P Thangaraj said, “On Thursday morning, he (the infant) developed nose bleeding. Over the phone, I arranged for a 108 ambulance, which took him to Kandiyaperi Hospital, as it is the nearest facility. However, the hospital staff did not treat him properly. After his death, the body was shifted to TVMCH. My grandson could have been saved if the ambulance had taken him directly to TvMCH.”
However, Dr C Revathy Balan, the Dean of Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, provided a different version of the incident. According to news reports, she stated that the child was brought dead to the Kandiyaperi hospital. She mentioned that the infant was frothing at the mouth and unconscious when he arrived, and the doctors there certified him as brought dead before referring the body to TVMCH.
The death of the infant has sparked a debate about the adequacy of medical facilities at the Kandiyaperi hospital. The body of the infant has been sent for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in yet another case of violence against doctors, a house surgeon at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TVMCH) was allegedly thrashed by relatives over the death of their 65-year-old kin.
