Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, May 4: Relating to the death of Poovakka Rai (69) from Bollimbala in Panaje in the taluk a few days since she returned home after undergoing angioplasty procedure in a hospital in Mangaluru, the team of medical experts formed to investigate the incident is still awaiting receipt of postmortem report. Reasons for the undue delay in the preparation of this report remain unexplained.

A panel of experts had been formed by Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner to go into the details of Rai's death and prepare a report after looking into whether medical negligence had caused her death. It may be recalled that Poovakka was one among the people identified by the doctors of a Mangaluru-based hospital during a health check-up camp for heart-related disorders, and who was operated upon.

Although Dr G K Bhat Sankabittilu, who heads the panel, had said last week that the panel has completed its task except for the receipt of the postmortem report, and that the panel was told that it would get the report within a week, till Saturday evening, the report had not been submitted.

The team of medical experts was formed after people held protest demanding a probe into the reasons for the lady's death. In normal course, postmortem reports are prepared within two weeks, and in this case, it is not ready even after 40 days. The panel members are not aware for what reason the forensic experts have not submitted the postmortem report so far. The panel may have to approach the district administration pointing out about this delay, in order to bring pressure on the concerned to see that the report is prepared and provided to it at an early date.