Medical negligence kills woman in Tuticorin

In a case of sheer medical callousness, a woman who was admitted at a government hospital in Tamil Nadu for a surgery lost her life as she waited for over four hours for the surgeon to turn up.

Subiah's wife needed a laparotomy and the best address the poor carpenter knew was the government medical college hospital in Tuticorin.

He could not afford Rs 25, 000 that any private hospital would charge for the surgery.

But on the day of the operation the surgeon who was to operate upon Subiah's wife just did not turn up even four hours after the appointed time.

Left unattended, the patient died of excruciating pain.

"We need justice. We poor people can go only to the government hospital. We can't go to private hospitals," said Ramaselvi, victim's daughter-in-law.

So far, no action has been taken against the doctor.

The hospital claims that the surgeon was very much on the campus that day but decided to postpone the surgery after the patient's condition worsened.

But there's no explanation on why the surgeon did not visit the waiting patient or inform the family.

When NDTV took up the issue with state health minister, he promised action against the guilty.

"We've asked them to probe and give a report to me and the district collector. We will take action against whoever is found responsible," said K K S S R Ramachandran, Health Minister.

While for poor patients the government hospital is the only resort. Sadly, for some doctors, saving poor lives seem to be not a priority.

Source: NDTV