KOCHI: Kalamassery police on Tuesday started investigation into the death of a 21-year-old second year MBBS student of Ernakulam Government Medical College (EMC), Shamna Tasnim, after an anti-biotic injection was administered to her at the medical college on Monday. The police registered a case under IPC 304 (A) for medical negligence after recording the statement of her father K.A. Abootty.
Kalamassery circle inspector C.J. Martin told this newspaper that her father alleged medical negligence as the reason for her death, following which the case was registered. Five members of the public also lodged a complaint with the CI alleging that valuable time was lost in giving her medical care after she collapsed on being administered the injection. They demanded registering a case for murder against those responsible.
Sources had said that it took nearly 20 minutes for a stretcher to arrive to take her to the ICU after she collapsed following the injection. Mr Martin said that the services of government doctors outside Ernakulam Medical College will be roped in for the investigation into the case. “We cannot include the doctors at the hospital as they are being covered by the investigation. The District Medical Officer (DMO) has to constitute a medical board which should give an expert opinion since what is alleged is medical negligence. We can proceed with the investigation can proceed and arrest the accused only on the basis of that,” said the CI.
Autopsy on her body was conducted at Alappuzha TD Medical College Hospital at Vandanam after being brought by Tuesday noon, by a team led by Dr B. Krishnan, assistant professor, Department of Forensic Medicine. “The autopsy report will soon be submitted to concerned investigation officials,” officials at the hospital said refusing to reveal further details.
The body was expected to reach her native Sivapuram at Mattannur in Kannur by 12 midnight and the burial will be held at Sivapuram Meethalappalli Juma Masjid at 8 am on Wednesday, relatives said. Around 250 students of the EMC proceeded to Mattannur on Tuesday afternoon in different buses to attend the burial of their college mate.
