CHENNAI: The State Human Rights Commission on Thursday initiated a suo motu cognizance by issuing notices to the Principal Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department and the Director of Medical Education, to carry out an enquiry into the alleged death of three patients in the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital due to a power outage.
In its order issued on Thursday, the commission called to submit a detailed report along with the relevant documents such as treatment given to the deceased from the date of admission till death within four weeks, and also for a report from the Principal Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department.
Three patients in ward number 101 – the Neuro Intensive Care Unit – at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) died on Tuesday night during a power outage caused by heavy rain in the City. Relatives of the deceased, who had been on ventilator support, alleged that the machines stopped working during the outage. However, the hospital claimed the ventilators had continued to function through battery back-up that is supposed to last for two hours.
The deceased were identified as G Ravindran (52) of Srivilliputhur, M Mallika (58) of Melur and P Palaniammal (60), of Dindigul. According to relatives of the deceased, the annexe block (Trauma Care Centre) of GRH suffered a power outage from 5.30 pm till 7.15 pm on Tuesday, plunging the hospital in darkness.