THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Medical College Hospital (MCH) cited the lack of ventilator facility as the reason for not admitting Murugan from Tamil Nadu, who was brought to the hospital in a critical condition following a traffic accident.
The MCH superintendent rubbished reports Murugan was denied treatment as there was no bystander with him. He said the majority of the accident victims who come to MCH don’t have any bystanders. Special arrangements have been put in place to ensure treatment for patients who are brought to the casualty in critical condition. Even if the patients are brought to the hospital by someone trying to help the victim, such persons are not put to any trouble by the hospital, the superintendent said.
If unidentified patients are in a critical condition, they are taken to the ward with the doctor. The medicine and tests for such patients are given for free, the hospital said.
According to the superintendent, Murugan was referred from Meditrina Hospital in Kollam because there was no neurosurgeon there. The duty doctor at the casualty examined Murugan immediately after he was brought in at 1 am. Finding the man in a coma, the doctor inquired if any ventilator was available in the hospital. However, all the ventilators were in use by critically ill patients.
The situation was conveyed to the people who brought Murugan. They soon took him to a hospital where ventilator facility would be available.
According to an MCH authority, no OP ticket was taken in Murugan’s name even though he was attended to by doctors in the casualty.
Denial of treatment; KSHRC intervenes
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has directed the Kollam Police Commissioner to inquire into the death of an accident victim due to alleged denial of treatment by private hospitals.
The Commission registered a suo-motu case and asked the Police Commissioner to submit the inquiry report in three weeks. The police have been directed to name the hospitals which allegedly refused treatment to the accident victim.
Commission member K Mohankumar demanded legal action against institutions failing fulfill their responsibilities. According to reports, Murugan, a native of Nagercoil died after he was denied treatment for more than seven hours.