Medical Board set up by govt to investigate Murugan's death

Thiruvanathapuram: A new medical board to investigate into 'lapses on the part of doctors' in the death of Murugan has been constituted by the state government, following directives from the High Court. The victim is believed to have succumbed to injuries in an accident at Kollam, following treatment having being denied to him at various hospitals.

According to Rajeev Sadanand, Secretary, Health, the Medical Board comprises of a neurosurgeon, a surgeon, and two anesthetists.The board will investigate whether there existed certain violations on the part of the doctors accused in Murugan’s death incident.

Dismissing the police arguments for culpable homicide against the doctors, the High Court gave the state government a directive to appoint a medical board to look into the death and the lapses involved, on the part of the doctors during the course of administered treatment.

This makes the inquiry to be conducted by the medical board crucial, for if violations were detected, it would call for the arrest of the doctors involved and further legal proceedings against them.

The board comprises Dr P K Balakrishnan, a neurosurgeon with the Kottayam Medical College, Dr M P Sasi, the Head, Department of Surgery with Kozhikode Medical College and Dr A Sobha and Dr G Maya, both heads of Department of Anaesthesia at Kottayam and Thrissur Medical Colleges, respectively.

As per the police report submitted before the court, the doctors in the dock include Dr Sreekanth Valasappalli and Dr Patrick Paul (both in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College), Dr Preetha (Kollam Meditrina Hospital), and Dr Rohan and Dr Ashiq (both with Kollam Azeezia Medical College).Dr Bilal Ahammed(Medicity Hospital).

According to case details, Murugan a resident of Kottayam and hailing from Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu was driven around to various hospitals in a critical state, as he had sustained serious head injuries when the motorcycle he was driving, banged into a scooter on the highway. The complainant and the ambulance driver who drove him around to the various hospitals with a reference letter in hand saying that he should be given primary care and was in need of expert medical help.

As per the case, 30-year-old Murugan, who hails from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and a resident of Kottayam, was taken to various hospitals as he had sustained serious head injuries, when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a scooter on the highway. The ambulance driver and the complainant in the case took him to the hospitals with a reference letter that said he was given primary care and was in need of expert medical care. The two driving him around continued to plead to the doctors that Murugan might meet his end, if left unattended to, immediately.

However, treatment was not rendered on the plea that the hospital did not have a bystander and in the other case, a ventilator, stated the police statement. According to the statements made by the ambulance driver and complainant to the police, despite repeated pleas to the doctors regarding the urgency of the case, no help was rendered. The post-mortem report states Murugan to have sustained head and shoulder injuries, which finally had him succumb to death, reports TOI.

In an earlier story done by Medical Dialogues, it was reported that an arrest of doctors of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College came, as they allegedly refused to admit a road accident victim Murugan, when he was driven into the hospital, which was also believed to be the reason for his death. Media reports pointed out that the doctors had approached the High Court for anticipatory bail. It was believed that they had been interrogated by the Kollam Commissioner. The Health Department held the belief that the Medical College authorities were responsible for the death of Tamil Nadu native- Murugan.

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