new delhi, Nov 9
Citing two deaths in four days in state’s government hospitals, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal has on Sunday alleged that the health sector in Kerala has been turned into a system of killing.
Speaking to the media here, Venugopal said two precious lives were lost due to medical negligence in government hospitals. Venu and Shiva Priya, who died in the government hospitals, are martyrs of the state Health Department’s negligence.
After the shock of the death of Venu, a heart patient who died after being denied treatment, the death of a young woman named Shiva Priya, who had given birth at SAT Hospital, happened. Both these are government-sponsored murders, he alleged. The woman’s family alleged that the cause of her death was the serious infection contracted from SAT Hospital. Venugopal said the indifference of senior doctors who left PG doctors to treat her led to her death. The Health Department is taking a stand to protect the staff of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, who are accused in Venu’s death. This administration has turned government hospitals with multi-specialty facilities into the center of all human rights violations, he said. The family of a woman who died due to a post-delivery infection on Sunday alleged negligence on the part of the hospital authorities as the cause of her death. Shiva Priya (26), wife of Manu from Karikkakom, died while undergoing treatment for an infection, her relatives said.
She had given birth to a baby boy on October 22 at the SAT Hospital and was discharged on October 25. However, after returning home, she developed high fever and diarrhoea and was readmitted to the hospital on October 26. As her condition worsened, she was shifted to the Thiruva-nanthapuram Medical College Hospital, where she was kept on ventilator support. She died on Sunday afternoon.
Health Minister Veena George has ordered an investigation into the death of Shiva Priya. She has sought a report on the incident from the health director. Meanwhile, a huge protest was held in front of SAT Hospital here over the death of Siva Priya. Her family and locals staged the protest with her baby. The BJP has also come forward in support of the protest. Led by senior leader V Muraleedharan, BJP workers, along with locals, sat in front of SAT Hospital and protested.
V Muraleedharan said Shiva Priya lost her life due to lack of proper treatment and that the protest would continue until justice is served. Congress workers also staged a protest before the SAT Hospital. They tried to force their way into the hospital leading to a tense situation. Earlier on Wednesday, Venu, a native of Panmana, Kollam, died at the government medical college hospital Thiruv-ananthapuram. Venu’s family alleged that even after six days of being admitted with a heart ailment, an angiogram was not performed on him. Venu’s voice message has also been released saying that if he died, it was due to the negligence of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital authorities.
