Representational image
Representational image

At least 22 died from bed sores in Tamil Nadu this year: Data

About a year ago, Kenjappan, a 45-year-old daily wage worker from Krishnagiri slipped while working in a well and became permanently disabled with spinal injuries.

CHENNAI:  About a year ago, Kenjappan, a 45-year-old daily wage worker from Krishnagiri slipped while working in a well and became permanently disabled with spinal injuries. On Sunday morning he breathed his last due to a septic shock triggered by untreated bed sores.

As the second wave is hogging the limelight, hundreds of people like Kenjappan who are sick from non-COVID illnesses are unable to receive timely medical aid. Being turned away from hospital due to lack of resources or beds is becoming increasingly common for patients like Kenjappan.

Surgically cleansing the bed sores along with a course of antibiotics treatment may have saved Kenjappan's life. His brother Chinnanuman said that they were turned away by small hospitals and nearby clinics. "The doctors said that my brother cannot be treated there, and asked us to take him to an Army hospital in Krishnagiri. We could not shift him there immediately. He died within a week," he said.

Bed sores are common among those with spinal injuries as they have no sensation waist down; therefore they detect a bedsore only when it starts getting infected. With limited mobility, many persons with spine injuries like Kenjappan are stuck indoors increasing the incidence of these sores. At least 22 people have died from bedsores in Tamil Nadu alone in 2021, says Gnana Bharathi, the president of Spinal Injured Persons Association.
 

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com