THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A duty doctor at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital has been suspended following a shocking case of medical negligence where maggots were found in a patient's surgical wound.
Health Minister K. Muraleedharan ordered the immediate suspension of the doctor who was in charge of ward rounds, while rejecting an initial departmental inquiry report that attempted to shield the hospital staff.
The minister also directed that a nurse who behaved rudely to the patient's family undergo mandatory counselling.
The disciplinary action follows an official finding that the patient’s wound went undressed for five consecutive days, which was deemed a critical failure in medical care.
The patient, Rajendra Prasad of Parippally, was admitted to the hospital on the 28th of last month after sustaining leg injuries in a motorcycle accident. He underwent orthopaedic surgery to insert a medical rod, but when he was later transferred from the ICU to a general ward, his relatives noticed an unbearable foul smell. Upon inspection, they discovered maggots crawling inside the wound.
Following public outrage, the Health Minister demanded an inquiry report within 48 hours. An expert committee subsequently concluded that there was a severe lack of vigilance among the staff assigned to the Orthopaedic ICU.
Expressing strong dissatisfaction with the Medical College authorities' initial report, which tried to justify the staff's actions, Muraleedharan rejected their findings and ordered a deeper, comprehensive investigation into the incident.