Almost a month after the media reported six cases of cancer misdiagnosis at the Cochin Medical College (CMC), the Cooperative Academy for Professional Education (CAPE), which runs CMC, has initiated an inquiry into the incident.
The CAPE has sent a questionnaire to the CMC authorities seeking explanation on the issue.
This is a deviation from its earlier stand that no inquiry was needed. There were allegations that CMC had failed to diagnose cancer in six patients.
Later when these patients got tested elsewhere, the cancer was confirmed. The cancer of one of the patients was found to be in the third stage.
Although the incident was reported by the media, the CMC authorities denied the allegation, saying nothing unusual had happened.
They also claimed that no report contradicted the findings of the report issued by the CMC Pathology department, hence no inquiry was needed. They said the CAPE questionnaire was sent not as part of an inquiry, but was seeking clarification on a report submitted earlier.
“It is true that we received a questionnaire from the CAPE recently. But this is not an inquiry. They are seeking clarification on certain points in the report already submitted. The CAPE has specifically sought the number of pathological tests conducted at CMC during the time of allegation. This detail was not included in the earlier report. The questionnaire will be answered soon,” said CMC medical director Junaid Rahman.
Volunteers of the movement, which demands takeover of CMC by the government, said a team of medical experts should be appointed to look into the allegation. “How accurate will be a questionnaire prepared by the CAPE bureaucrats,” N K Sanil Kumar, a Kochi-based doctor, asked.