TENKASI: Blaming the staff at two government hospitals for keeping their campus gates closed, and not responding to calls to open them, having led to an hours-long delay in arranging treatment – and ultimately the death – of a 19-year-old man who suffered a snakebite, the youth’s family on Tuesday urged the district collector to take action against the GH doctors concerned.
Acting on the collector’s instructions, the district health department has initiated an inquiry into the youth’s death.
In their petition to the collector, the family members of the deceased, K Akash of Surandai, said the latter had to be taken to five government institutions and a private clinic before the youth could avail of proper treatment at the Government Tirunelveli Medical College and Hospital (TvMCH), covering over 110 km in total.
Akash’s father A Krishnan said proper treatment for his son started five hours after the snakebite. According to his petition, Akash and his 14-year-old cousin Chinnadurai were sleeping at their relative’s house in Surandai on the night of June 3.
After the duo complained of severe stomach pain, relatives took them to the V K Pudur GH 3 km away where the compound gate was closed. Despite attempts to raise their attention, the staff did not open the gate, Krishnan said.
Both of them were then taken to Alangulam GH located around 20 km away where, too, the compound gate was closed. The staff, however, refused to open the gate following which the two were taken to a private clinic in Alangulam where they were administered an injection. They were then taken to the Surandai PHC, the petitioner added.
The PHC staff sent the two to the Tenkasi District Government Headquarters Hospital (GHQH) in an ambulance. Doctors at GHQH told us that Akash and his cousin were bitten by a snake. When we checked the room where they slept, we spotted a common krait, the petition stated.
Both were administered anti-snake venom and were intubated but their health deteriorated, after which they were taken to the TvMCH. Akash, however, died without responding to treatment on June 10.
Based on Krishnan’s complaint, the Surandai police registered a case on June 11.
When contacted, a health official told TNIE, “We have sought an explanation from the doctors. The staff at the VK Pudur GH claimed that the relatives of the deceased left before the doctor could head to the casualty room.
In Alangulam GH, they (Akash’s relatives) approached the old block instead of the new one.” While CCTV footage is not available at the V K Pudur GH, we have asked the footage at Alangulam GH to be saved, the official added.
Chinnadurai has been discharged, his relative said.
