Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Mar 27: Deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district A B Ibrahim has ordered a detailed investigation into the deaths of two persons and others who fell ill a few days after they attended a free health check-up camp at Panaje.
The DC has formed a panel of doctors who will conduct a detailed investigation into the health camp, treatment of the patients, details of surgery if any they had undergone, and the entire medical process involved.
The panel is headed by Dr G K Bhat, Sankabittilu, Mangaluru and head of Indian Medical Association Mangaluru unit. Members of the panel are Dr A T Prabhakar, cardiologist, Father Muller Hospital, Mangaluru, Dr Ashok Shetty, cardiothoracic surgeon of Father Muller Hospital, Mangaluru, Dr Pratheek Rastogi, head of forensic medicine department, KMC Mangaluru, Dr Sudarshan, nodal officer, Karnataka Private Medical Institutes Authority, Dr Rajaram, specialist doctor, opposite Girija Clinic, Darbe, Puttur.
Dr Badruddin, Puttur taluk health officer, will be the member secretary of this panel while Dr Krishnamurty, medical officer, primary health centre, Panaje, will provide all the necessary papers and documents to the panel.
The panel has been asked to investigate into the check-ups conducted and medical examinations conducted on the 10 persons mentioned above, the system of selection of patients and transporting them to Mangaluru, pre-treatment selection of patients at Omega Hospital, facility for surgery, equipment, and other facilities, post-treatment care, reasons for death, studying postmortem report, and negligence or dereliction of duty if any on the part of medical officers who performed surgeries.
The DC has asked the panel to investigate into minutest of details concerned with the said incidents and submit report thereof within seven days. During this period, finding that holding health check up camps is not suitable, these camps have been put on hold.
Giving details of the case, a press note from the DC states that under the sponsorship of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust, the health check-up camp had been organized at Panaje primary health centre in the taluk on March 10. Out of those who were subjected to examination, 28 were taken to Mangaluru with help from Arogya Mitra on March 11. Among them, 10 were admitted as inpatients while others were sent after prescribing medications. Out of these ten who underwent surgical procedure, nine-year-old girl, Ayishath Haseena, daughter of Mammunhi from Arlapadavu, Panaje village, died on March 19. Another patient, Poovakka (69), wife of Kittanna Rai from Bollimbala in Panaje breathed her last on March 24. It is learnt that another such patient, Sundari (75), wife of Chaniya Madiwala, Chembarakatte, has got admitted into A J Hospital for treatment of complications.
Angered by this turn of event, people of the area had held an angry protest in front of Panaje primary health centre, duly placing the mortal remains of the deceased in front of the centre, alleging lapse on the part of doctors as the cause for the deaths. Considering these aspects, the DC ordered the investigation.