Kerala rights panel orders probe into death of patient at Neyyattinkara General Hospital

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 10 (PTI) The Kerala State Human Rights Commission on Friday ordered the Deputy DMO to investigate whether there was any negligence on the part of the staff of the Neyyattinkara General Hospital here in connection with the death of a patient who came there complaining of chest pain. Commission chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas directed that the Deputy District Medical Officer shall conduct the inquiry by recording the statements of the deceased patient's relatives, hospital superintendent, doctors, security staff and independent witnesses. The direction came in proceedings initiated by the commission on its own based on news reports of the incident which claimed that the patient, despite complaining of chest pain and appearing to be in discomfort, was made to stand in line to get an outpatient (OP) ticket and he died due to not receiving treatment on time. The allegations have been refuted by the hospital authorities, who claimed that he was not made to wait in line and he died while he was in the casualty section. Meanwhile, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar termed it as an "inhumane act" and not mere negligence. Conveying his condolences to the patient's family, the BJP MLA from Nemom alleged that the incident was the result of years of administrative apathy at the bureaucratic level of the alternate Congress-CPI(M) rule in the state. "When it comes to criminal negligence, they (Congress and CPI(M)) are not two but one," he alleged in a Facebook post, demanding immediate and strict punitive action against those responsible. Merely announcing an inquiry will not be enough, he contended. The commission, in its order, directed the Deputy DMO to examine the medical records of the deceased and take note of the cause of death. The Deputy DMO was also directed to investigate whether the patient's death was due to the negligence on anyone's part and if a police case has been registered in connection with the incident, and to submit a report to the DMO. The commission directed the DMO to file a comprehensive report and to submit it before the panel along with the Deputy DMO's investigation report within one month. The Superintendent of the Neyyattinkara General Hospital was also directed to submit a report within a month and the matter was listed for further hearing on September 2. The Deputy DMO on behalf of the DMO and a senior officer on behalf of the Taluk Hospital Superintendent should be present at the sitting to be held at the Commission office at 10 am on September 2, it said. The action is in a case registered voluntarily based on a newspaper report. PTI HMP KH