THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A spate of alleged medical negligence cases across the state has left young medical professionals unsettled.
The controversies, ranging from surgical errors to disputed treatment outcomes, have placed doctors, particularly those working in emergency departments, under intense scrutiny, sparking discussions within medical community.
Communicating via social media groups and professional forums, doctors have been actively debating ways to reduce risks. Many of the suggestions lean towards discreetly adopting defensive medicine, ordering additional diagnostic tests or referring patients to other centres to avoid potential disputes.
“The young doctors are particularly worried. They attend to most of the critical care departments at the hospitals. There is a growing apprehension that they would face attacks or carry the tag of alleged medical negligence throughout their career,” said Dr Ashik Basheer, state president of General Practitioners Association (GPA).
He said in GPA’s WhatsApp groups, doctors have been seeking advice on mitigating risks, while some are even considering job opportunities abroad. According to him, defensive medicine often means prescribing scans for all head injuries.
“What will happen if we place the patients with head injuries under observation and they develop complication? So asking for a CT scan is the safest way when there is a head injury. But then the treatment will be expensive,” he added.
Yet, the situation is proving difficult even for experienced medical professionals, who traditionally rely on their expertise to provide swift and effective care without resorting to time-consuming diagnostic procedures.
“Defensive medicine is now gaining traction. Seasoned doctors are also becoming risk-averse, even when they are sure about the patient’s condition. Ultimately, it is the public who suffer due to unnecessary diagnostics and referrals,” said KGMOA president Dr Sunil P K.
Professional associations such as the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) have rejected several negligence allegations as “false and unfounded.” Both GPA and KGMOA maintain that they do not support shielding doctors found guilty, but insist that charges must be probed and proved by competent authorities, without succumbing to mob pressure. Meanwhile, Mamal Hospital authorities in Kattakada defended their treatment in a case where a two-and-a-half-year-old girl died due to complications. Superintendent Dr Sivakumari said the duty doctor had tried his best to save the child, who was brought in with pneumonia on February 19 and referred to SAT Hospital.
When the child returned on February 22 with severe respiratory distress, she suffered a cardiac arrest during treatment. “Adrenaline was injected for the emergency treatment. The child’s relatives had also been informed that she had suffered a cardiac arrest,” said Dr Sivakumari.
However, the infant’s parents rejected the hospital’s explanation, insisting that their child’s condition deteriorated after the adrenaline injection was administered.
Additional tests
Doctors have been discreetly ordering addl tests or referring patients to other centres to avoid disputes
Seasoned doctors are also becoming risk-averse, even when they are sure about patient’s condition