KOCHI: Close on the heels of the Crime Branch reporting gross negligence by the doctors and other staff at Ernakulam Government Medical College (EMC) leading to the death of medico Shamna Tasneem, the state-level medical apex board has concluded that medical negligence had led to her death. An RTI application filed by Shamna’s father K.A. Abootty has uncovered the apex board’s report in this regard which finds Dr Jilse George and Dr Krishna Mohan, doctors at EMC, responsible for the medical negligence.
Even though the state-level medical apex board has concluded that medical negligence led the death of medico Shamna Thasneem, almost two months ago, the Crime Branch team investigating the case has failed to submit the chargesheet in the relevant court. The state-level apex body consists of Dr R.L. Saritha, Director of Health Services, who is the convener of the body, and members C. Sreedharan Nair, Director-General of Prosecution, Dr A. Remla Beevi, Director of Medical Education, and Dr A. Sabu, Additional DHS (Vigilance). The legal analysis of the case by the apex body also conforms to the conclusion that the death was due to the medical negligence of Dr Jilse George, HoD of Medicine Department and Dr Krishna Mohan, physician on duty.
The apex medical body noted that the report of the inquiry team conducted under DME had opined that “there was lack of reasonable degree of skill and care in the management” of Shamna. ”There was no proper documentation, it also indicates the lack of proper management,” the apex body said and noted that there was gross disparity in the records entered by nurses and Dr Krishna Mohan for the management of Shamna in the afternoon of July 18, 2016. While nurses were not supposed to give medicines without prescription, the same happened here.
The emergency situation was not properly managed nor emergency medicine and equipment in working condition were ensured in the case, the body noted. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Yatish Chandra who is overseeing the investigation into the case told DC on Monday that he will sit with the Crime Branch DySP George Cherian who is probing the case, next week, to assess the progress of the case and the possibility of submitting the chargesheet. The DySP had said that he had received answers to a large questionnaire submitted to the apex board by the previous investigating officer DySP K.A. Sasidharan.
