Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 6 A man has died, allegedly due to a delay in angioplasty at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, his family members said.
The deceased has been identified as Venu, an autorickshaw driver from Panmana in Kollam district.
The family alleged that, though doctors had recommended an emergency surgery, it was not performed even after six days of hospitalisation.
The controversy deepened after an audio message Venu had sent to a friend before his death surfaced, in which he accused hospital authorities of apathy and corruption.
In the voice message, Venu is heard saying that hospital officials refused to respond to his repeated pleas.
"No one here even looks at you with concern - not even the way one would look at a dog. They don't reply to questions. This place is a centre of bribery. I came here on Friday for an emergency angiogram, but five days have passed and no one has checked on me. When I asked a doctor during rounds when the surgery would be done, they said they had no idea. I don't know if this delay is for bribes. Medical colleges should be a refuge for the poor, but this one has become a cursed paradise for patients," he said.
Venu also asked his friend to make his plight known to the outside world if anything happened to him.
The family alleged that Venu did not receive the necessary treatment despite his critical condition.
Venu had initially sought treatment for chest pain at the Chavara Primary Health Centre and was later referred to the Kollam District Hospital, which advised an emergency angiogram.
He was subsequently admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital last week, where he died on Wednesday night, just hours after sending the voice message to his friend.
However, hospital authorities have denied any lapses in treatment, stating that all possible medical care was provided.
They said the patient's condition was initially stable and that the window for performing an angioplasty had already passed by the time he was brought in.
His condition reportedly deteriorated suddenly, leading to his death, they added.
With the family of patients up in arms, the state government is expected to conduct a probe into the sequence of events.
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