GMC Kottayam faces negligence allegations after patient death
Medical Negligence
Kottayam: A 49-year-old woman passed away while undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Kottayam, prompting her family to lodge a complaint alleging medical negligence.
The deceased, identified as Shalini Ambujakshan, a native of Kothanallur, was undergoing treatment for excessive menstrual bleeding at the hospital’s gynaecology department. According to the news reports, she had been scheduled for a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure on Monday morning as part of her treatment.
Her husband, Ambujakshan, said Shalini arrived at the hospital around 6 a.m., accompanied by her daughter. He stated that she had no prior health issues, such as hypertension or diabetes, and had travelled to the hospital by auto-rickshaw.
During the treatment, Shalini reportedly felt weak, fainted, and collapsed. Her relatives immediately alerted the attending medical staff, following which she was shifted to the ICU in the gynaecology department and placed on a ventilator. As her condition deteriorated, she was moved to the Critical Intensive Care Unit (CICU).
Family members alleged that Shalini had no prior serious health issues and that her condition worsened only after hospital treatment began. They have accused the medical staff of gross negligence and have lodged formal complaints seeking accountability.
The Police conducted an inquest and postmortem, after which the patient's body was handed over to her family and cremated the same evening. Shalini, who worked as a traffic warden in Ernakulam, is survived by her husband and three sons.
Speaking to TOI, he added that stress could have contributed to the heart attack and that a postmortem was conducted for more information. The medical college principal appointed a team, including the heads of gynaecology and cardiology departments and the RMO, to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident.
