KOLLAM:The refusal of five hospitals, including the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, to provide treatment led to the death of an injured 30-year-old migrant labourer from Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
Following this, police officers framed charges against Meditrina Hospital, Kollam Medicity and Azeezia Medical College in Kollam and against SUT Hospital and Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.
Murugan, the deceased, suffered head injuries in a road accident on NH-66 near Ithikkara while he was riding pillion on a bike with his friend Muthu, 24. The Thirunelveli native spent around seven hours in the ambulance before succumbing to injuries, while the hospitals refused to admit him citing different reasons.
“We have registered a case against five hospitals for denying treatment to Murugan. They have been charged under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder),” said Kollam city police commissioner Ajeetha Begum.
Kottiyam CI Ajaynath, the investigating officer, said the hospitals were booked based on the complaint by Raju, the ambulance driver, who alleged the hospitals turned back the patient who needed immediate medical attention.“The complaint states the hospitals refuse to admit the patient citing various excuses. We have launched a probe and are in the process of recording the hospitals’ statements,” said Ajaynath.
How it happened
Rona Rebeiro, a member of the TRACK team who attended Murugan from the time of the accident, said Murugan had first been admitted to KIMS Hospital where the authorities told them there were no ventilators available. “Murugan was rushed to Medicity Hospital and then to Meditrina Hospital in Kollam where we got the same response. We then took him to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, 72 km away from the Kollam. There, we received intimation a ventilator will be available only after two hours. We were on our way back to the district when he breathed his last,” Rebeiro said. The body of Murugan, who reportedly made a living by milking cows in Kollam and lived at Kottiyam on the outskirts of the city, is currently being kept at the mortuary of the Kollam District Hospital.
Behera warns of action
“A very unfortunate and sad incident came to my notice that a few hospitals in Kollam district refused to admit an accident victim, a Tamil Nadu native, when he was brought to the hospitals in a very serious condition and later succumbed to wounds. This should not have occurred. The Supreme Court has given clear guidelines relating to accident victims. The hospitals which denied admission to the deceased TN native without valid reasons did wrong. I have instructed the police to register a case. Strong action will be taken against those responsible for this reprehensible offence,” said state police chief Loknath Behera in an FB post.
Denying medical treatment a criminal lapse: Minister
T’Puram: The act of hospital denying treatment to an accident victim amounts to criminal lapse, said Health Minister K K Shylaja on Monday. In a statement, the minister said as per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, a person who sustains injuries in an accident should be provided immediate medical care without even enquiring about the identity of the people who bring him. In view of the Supreme Court direction, the attitude of the hospitals cannot be justified, she said. The minister said the first hour after the accident was crucial to save the life of the victim. If the bleeding could be stopped, the life could be saved. Government has initiated steps to extend trauma care facility. She said ambulances with trauma care facilities will be introduced soon.
What the hospitals say
Medicity Hospital
“Around 11 pm, an ambulance carrying Murugan arrived at our hospital. At the time Dr Bilal was in charge of our emergency unit. After hearing about the patient’s condition, Dr Bilal attended to him in the ambulance itself. As the victim’s condition was serious, he had to be admitted on ventilator. But no ventilator was vacant at the hospital available at the time. We have CCTV footage of all that transpired and will hand it over to the police,” said PRO of the hospital John Kandathil.
Kottayam KIMS
“Four persons were injured in the accident. They included Murugan and Muthu and a couple who was on a scooter. While the couple and Muthu were given primary medical attention, Murugan’s condition was serious. He suffered severe head injuries as his head first hit the road. A CT scan is important in such cases. But the facility is unavailable here. So we had to refer him to another hospital. The service of the neurosurgeon was also unavailable at the time,” said hospital authorities.
Azeezia hospital
Dr Ansar Azeez, one of the board members of Azeezia Group, told ‘Express’ the victim, Murugan, was brought to the hospital after the ambulance staff received intimation there were no ventilators vacant at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. “As per the reports from the hospital, the victim was brought there around 4.50 am on Monday and his his condition was very serious. The unavailability of neurosurgeon was also a matter of concern. The doctor on duty who checked him said the victim’s pupils were dilated and his pulse was not recordable. We asked the ambulance staff to rush him to a hospital where neurosurgery intervention was available,” he said.
Meditrina Hospital
“The absence of a neurosurgeon forced us to refer the victim to another hospital. Murugan had developed multiple fractures and suffered severe head injury which necessitates availaing of the expertise of a neurosurgeon. Since we did not have one, we referred him to another hospital,” said hospital authorities.
SUT hospital
Responding to the charge that SUT Hospital authorities had also denied treatment to the Tamil labourer who got fatally injured in the accident, SUT Hospital medical Superintendent Dr Rajesh Vijayan told Express, as per the hospital’s policy patients who could not afford the treatment would not be admitted. “In case accident victims with no bystander are brought to the hospital and if we feel they cannot afford the treatment we will shift them to the nearby Medical College without charging any amount for ambulance service,” he said. Asked about whether he was not aware of the Supreme Court guidelines on admitting accident victims, he said they were aware of the guidelines but asked who would pay for the treatment. “Even if we provide primary medical treatment required for life-saving, it would incur at least Rs 25,000 to 30,000. MRI scan and emergency stabilisation procedures come at a cost. We don’t get any subsidy from the government. Our doctors are highly paid. Hospitals don’t have any fund to meet the expense,” he said.