In the wake of reports that relatives were not intimated of the deaths of two patients at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Alappuzha, Health Minister Veena George on Sunday directed the Director of Medical Education to conduct a probe and submit a report immediately. Ms. George said stringent action would be taken against the culprits.
A 58-year-old man from Kollam was admitted to the hospital on July 23 with chest pain. He later tested positive for COVID-19 and was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on August 9. He died on August 12. Family members said his wife was at the hospital when he died, but she was not informed of the death. The family’s attempts to reach the medical staff at the ICU on phone went futile. With no information for two days, his daughter and a relative came to the hospital on August 14. She later identified her father’s body at the hospital morgue.
MCH version
MCH authorities said they tried calling on the mobile phone of a relative after he died at 3 p.m., but without success. Officials said they also informed the police about the death.
A similar incident came to light on Sunday, when relatives of Thankappan, 55, of Peringamala, who died at the MCH last week, alleged that they came to know about his death four days later. Thankappan was admitted to the hospital on August 7 and died four days later. Family members alleged that no one from the hospital called them to convey the news.
“His wife tested positive for COVID-19 and he accompanied her to the MCH. While at the hospital, he fell ill and was admitted to the ICU. At the time of his death, his wife and son were at the hospital. But they were not informed. Only when his son went to the ICU on Sunday morning, did the hospital staff inform him that Thankappan died a few days ago and his body was shifted to the morgue,” a relative said.
