Kollam: The district crime branch team probing the death of Murukan, a migrant worker, due to lack of timely medical aid three months back, has found serious lapses by six doctors. The team has decided to include them as accused and recommended constituting a panel of doctors in central service to clarify their findings in the investigation report. A decision on their arrests will be taken later.
The team has also found negligence by private hospitals Meditrina, Medicity and Azeezia in Kollam, and the Thiruvananthapuram MCH in denying treatment to the accident victim who was kept waiting for eight hours in an ambulance. The accused are Dr. Preethi of Meditrina, Dr. Bilal Ahmed of Medicity, Dr. Rohan and Dr. Ashik of Azeezia, and Dr. Patrick and Dr. Sreekanth of Thiruvananthapuram MCH. “If they had shown justice to their profession, perhaps the life of Murukan could have been saved,” an official told DC.
Murukan, 37, of Thuruppu middle street, Thuraikkudi, Radhapuram, Thirunelveli, died on August 7 after he was injured in a motorcycle accident at Chathannoor here and was denied treatment in various private hospitals. The investigation team has also found that one VVIP ventilator and 16 stand-by ventilators were available in Thiruvananthapuram MCH while Murukan was turned back citing non-availability of ventilators on the fateful night. As many as 46 persons, including hospital staff, will also be included as witnesses in the case.
A report by the health directorate earlier had also found serious negligence by these hospitals in providing timely medical aid to the victim. The police had registered case against the private hospitals in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram MCH for medical negligence and charged them with sections under IPC 304 and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The State Human Rights Commission has also registered a suo motu case.
