T’PURAM/KOCHI : Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday gave clean chit to the Ernakulam Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), which has been facing a barrage of criticism in recent days over “gross negligence” that allegedly led to the death of at least three Covid-19 patients. “The Ernakulam MCH has done a stupendous job in managing Covid-19. Unfortunately, a baseless report came against it. The hospital authorities as well as those who are technically sound in these matters have contested this.
Society now knows that the allegation raised against the MCH is unfounded,” the chief minister said in his evening news briefing. Pinarayi said some quarters were spreading erroneous information against the MCH. “Some health workers, even those in service, are spreading wrong information.
The government is taking it seriously,” he said. Experts, however, said the allegations against the MCH are serious and called for a detailed probe to unearth the truth. “Only a detailed and impartial investigation can bring out the truth,” said Dr M I Junaid Rahman, former president of the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association.
Probe launched into negligence allegations
“Frankly, we don’t know the truth. What we know are the public statements (made by some of the patients’ families, a nursing officer and a doctor) against the Kalamassery MCH,” said Dr M I Junaid Rahman, former president of the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association and IMA Kochi chapter.
Meanwhile, the police on Thursday launched a detailed inquiry into the alleged incidents of medical negligence at the MCH after relatives of three Covid patients, who died while undergoing treatment, lodged complaints. The police said the family of Covid patient Jameela who died at the hospital filed the complaint on Thursday.
Jameela’s family lodged the complaint based on the statement of Dr Najma Salim --- a junior doctor at the hospital --- in the media that she saw the patient struggling to breathe due to faulty connection of ventilator tubes. Dr Najma had also lodged a complaint with the Kalamassery police on the cyber attack against her.
Police start probe
The police on Thursday launched a detailed inquiry into the alleged incidents of medical negligence at the MCH after relatives of three Covid patients, who died while undergoing treatment, lodged complaints.