No lapses in treatment of deceased patient at Thrivananthapuram Medical College: DME Report

Thiruvananthapuram: Following the death of a 48-year-old autorickshaw driver from heart failure at the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Thiruvananthapuram, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), which investigated the case, has stated that there were no lapses in the treatment provided by the cardiology department.

Even though the family members of the deceased alleged delay and medical negligence in his treatment, claiming that he was admitted in a general ward and his angiogram was postponed by the doctor to the 5th day despite his deteriorating health condition, the DME gave a clean chit to the hospital, saying treatment protocols were followed and the case sheet showed no lapses.

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The report also mentioned that the findings were based only on statements from the doctors involved and noted that any communication issues with the patient would need a separate investigation, reports TNIE.

As earlier reported by Medical Dialogues, the 48-year-old autorickshaw driver from Panmana, Kollam, passed away from heart failure on Wednesday night just hours after recording an emotional voice message accusing hospital staff of negligence and indifference. The patient was admitted to the hospital the previous Friday after being referred from the Taluk Hospital in Kollam for emergency cardiac care.

In an audio message sent to his friends shortly before his death, he expressed serious concern over the inadequate medical attention he received during his five-day stay. He stated that if anything were to happen to him, the hospital staff should be held responsible. “No one responds to our questions. The staff in uniform don’t even look at you. Corruption is everywhere,” he alleged in the recording, urging his friends to share his experience with the world if he didn’t survive.

Doctor highlights poor treatment conditions

A senior government doctor on Saturday strongly criticised the circumstances surrounding the death of the cardiac patient, who allegedly did not receive proper treatment at the state-run Government Medical College Hospital here.

Dr Haris Chirakkal, head of the Urology Department at the hospital, described the death of the patient as “unfortunate” and “painful.” Chirakkal, who recently drew attention to the shortage of surgical equipment and delays in procedures at the medical college, said the patient was made to lie on the floor of the hospital.

“How can a patient be made to lie on the floor? How can treatment be given that way? To make patients lie on the floor is uncivilised,” he said while speaking at a programme here.

As per the PTI report, the doctor said that more patients are now being made to lie on the floor at the government medical college than when he joined the institution as a student in 1986. He said it was painful to learn that the patient had to travel a long distance to seek treatment at the hospital.

Setting up medical colleges across the state would be of no use if such situations continued, he said, adding that tertiary care centres of super-speciality standards were the need of the hour.

The death of the patient, who was undergoing treatment for a heart condition at the Government Medical College Hospital here, had prompted allegations of medical negligence from his family.

While the hospital’s medical superintendent denied the family’s claims, the Congress-led UDF opposition blamed the state government and Health Minister Veena George for his death on Wednesday night.

In a recent Facebook post, Chirakkal had pointed out that the shortage of essential medical equipment had led to the postponement of surgeries and alleged that repeated assurances from authorities had failed to resolve the issue, leaving patients in severe pain while waiting for timely treatment. His remarks had led to political criticism against the state government and the health department.

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