VIJAYAWADA: Accusing railway hospital authorities of negligence for the death of a railway employee, kin of the victim staged a protest before the hospital here on Saturday and demanded action against the doctors responsible. Employees of the South Central Railway Mazdoor Union (SCRMU) and South Central Railway Employees Sangh (SCRES) extended solidarity with the protestors.
SCRMU additional divisional secretary Gupta said S Rajesh (30), who worked in the carriage and workers department in the Vijayawada division, met with an accident on May 27 in which he injured his right ankle. However, he did not feel pain then and left for home. When Rajesh consulted railway hospital for treatment the next morning, authorities performed few medical tests and put a bandage on the injured ankle.
“After being administered painkillers till May 30, the victim was referred to a private hospital for better treatment where doctors conducted several tests on him on Friday. However, Rajesh died on Saturday morning due to multiple organ failure and severe infection,” Gupta said.
“When questioned, the railway hospital authorities claimed that Rajesh died due to jaundice and they had provided medical treatment for ankle injury on time. Kin of Rajesh have submitted a complaint to ADRM G Sumana and have demanded a compensation of `10 lakh.
Responding to the incident, the ADRM said that the matter will be taken to the notice of the higher authorities in Secunderabad and an inquiry will be launched following their orders,” the SCRMU leader added.
The union leader added that as per rules, Rajesh’s kin would get a job in the department but the procedure may take at least one month.
Hospital chief medical superintendent Satyanarayana refused to comment on the issue and maintained that the exact cause of death can be ascertained only after getting the post-mortem report. Rajesh is survived by his wife and a daughter.