Kerala: Patient Dies After Delay in Emergency Surgery at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College

Kerala : Delay in medical treatment at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital claimed life of one man. Family members said  though doctors had recommended an emergency surgery, it was not performed even after six days of hospitalisation. Deceased identified as Venu, an autorickshaw driver from Panmana in Kollam district. Controversy surrounding Venu's death intensified with the emergence of an audio message he sent to a friend, accusing hospital authorities of apathy and corruption. In the message, Venu claimed that his repeated pleas for help were ignored. He stated that staff members lacked compassion and were unresponsive to his questions. He further alleged that the hospital was rife with bribery, noting that despite arriving for an emergency angiogram five days prior, he had received no attention.

He recounted asking a doctor about the surgery schedule, only to be told they had no idea when it would occur, suggesting potential corruption as the cause for the delay. Venu lamented that the medical college, intended as a sanctuary for the poor, had become a "cursed paradise" for patients. Deceased asked his friend to make sure if anything happens to him world should know this. 

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. Medical Negligence in Dehradun: 26-Year-Old Woman Dies of Infection After Doctor Leaves ‘Gauze’ Inside Her Abdomen During C-Section at Eye and Mother Care Centre in Uttarakhand, Probe Launched.

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. (With IANS inputs)