Girl in coma after overdose of medicine

A 21-year-old girl slipped into a comatose state after she was allegedly administered an overdose of medication at the Krishna Hospital in Chitradurga.

Chetana of Hirebennur village in the district, who was suffering from insomnia for several days, was brought to the hospital, where a doctor allegedly administered her excess dose of medication. When the girl did not come out of sleep even after two days, she was brought back to the hospital.

From there, she was shifted to Kasturba Hospital in Manipal where she remained comatose for a week, according to Mahantesh, the girl’s father. When doctors at the Manipal Hospital threw up their hands, the parents decided to shift her back home. Enroute, they noticed some signs of life in the girl and rushed her to the government hospital in Chitradurga where she was kept on ventilator support.

Some relatives contacted Health Minister U T Khader’s office and were advised to shift Chetana to NIMHANS in Bangalore, where she is currently being treated. V L Satish, medical superintendent at NIMHANS, said: “Chetana was brought to the hospital on Sunday evening in a serious condition and has been admitted to the ICU where neurosurgeons are monitoring her closely. She had been in this comatose condition for the last three weeks. There maybe infection in the central neuro system.”

Satish further said the family told the doctors that she had been bitten by a dog prior to the administration of medication for insomnia. “I do not know if she has been treated for that,” he added.

Angry relatives of the victim on Sunday staged a protest in front of the hospital in Chitradurga demanding an explanation from the doctor. When he did not turn up, they tried to barge into the hospital hurling abuses, but were chased away by the police.

Mahantesh requested the Indian Medical Association to initiate strict action and withdraw the doctor’s licence immediately. Health Director Dhanya Kumar said if the family chooses to file a complaint with the Health Department, it will be forwarded to the consumer courts.

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The New Indian Express
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