Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MD)
Updated
Mangaluru, Mar 25: The relatives of the elderly woman who died a few days after attending a health check-up camp at Puttur gathered at Wenlock hospital, where post-mortem was conducted on Wednesday March 25, and alleged that she and a young girl who died were 'forced' into attending the camp and undergoing surgeries.
Poovakka (69) and Ayishath Haseena (9) died a few days after they attended a health check-up camp organized at Panaje on March 10. Following their deaths, the locals had on Tuesday March 24 protested in front of Panaje primary health centre, blaming the doctors of Omega hospital, which had organized the camp, for their deaths. Four others who attended the camp - Sundari, Hussainar, Kalyani and Kittanna Rai - have also been affected.
Speaking to daijiworld, Poovakka's son Kusha Rai said that his mother did not have any ailment other than diabetes. "Omega Hospital had organized a free health check-up camp at Panaje primary health centre. An agent name Harish forced us to attend the camp which was held under Vajpayee Arogyashree health scheme," he said.
"They (staff at the camp) took our BPL cards and called us to Mangaluru for advanced treatment. Just to make sure that we do as they say, they took our BPL cards," he alleged. He also added that 13 of the 24 people who attended the camp were asked to come to Mangaluru for treatment.
When asked what reason was given by doctors for Poovakka's surgery, Kusha said, "They did not give us any reason. They inserted some kind of pipe into my mother's mouth and then I do not know what happened. She was shifted to ICU. They did the operation without informing us and without taking our signatures for consent. They charged us Rs 15,000 for the surgery."
Poovakka's relative Babu Rai alleged, "The agent, Harish, gets money out of Vajpayee Arogya scheme and that is why he forced BPL card holders to attend the camp. He and other health officers who conducted the camp get Rs 1.5 lac for each surgery. To earn some money they called 13 people for surgery."
Speaking about the young girl who died, he said, "Ayishath Haseena was a fourth standard student. Her teachers were saying that she was wonderful child and had no health problems. She was forcibly taken to the camp as she was weak."
Babu Rai also said that Omega hospital should give compensation to the families of the deceased and stop conducting health check-up camps. He also demanded the termination of the hospital's licence.
Omega Hospital clarifies
Responding to the allegations, administrator of Omega hospital Dr Bhardwaj said, "The camp was organized by the government, where doctors at Panaje referred patients to Omega and a few other hospitals.
"The patients (who came to Omega) were treated carefully and examined with ECG, Echo scanning etc, and when they left the hospital they were fully fit. The deaths occured a week later in their houses," he said.
"The poor people do not have knowledge about medicines. They did not take proper medication and did not take enough rest. A doctor who examined them said that the deaths may have occured due to blood clots later and the DHO also filed the report. It was not the hospital's mistake," he opined.
Asked about allegations against Harish, he said, "Harish is not an agent. He is a camp coordinator and his job is to refer patients to hospitals. He sent patients to other hospitals too. The allegations are false. Omega hospital has never before conducted a camp like this, and for the first time it was held under the aegis of the government."
As the state assembly is in session, health minister U T Khadar was not available for comment.
Earlier Report
Puttur: Death of poor rural patients- protest against hospital
Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Mar 25: After two patients identified for surgery during the health check-up camp organized at Panaje by a Mangaluru-based hospital died and the condition of another turned critical, people from the area protested in front of the hospital.
Ayishath Haseena (9), on whom heart operation was performed, died on March 19. Poovakka (69) died on Tuesday March 24. The condition of another patient, Sundari, has turned critical. Angered by these adverse developments, people protested by placing the body of Poovakka in front of the primary health centre at Panaje on Tuesday.
Free health check-up camp for BPL card holders under Vajpayee Arogyashree health scheme on March 10 at Panaje primary health centre. Doctors of Omega hospital from Mangaluru checked health condition of the people, identified 28 among them as being in need of advanced treatment, and took them to Mangaluru.
On March 13, 13 persons were lined up for surgery at the said hospital. Fourth standard student, Ayishat Haseena, breathed her last in the hospital later. Poovakka, who was discharged after surgery, died on Tuesday. Another patient, Sundari, who was also discharged after surgery, has developed swelling of hands.
When district health officer and medical officer of the named hospital visited the spot, the protesters assaulted them. When police intervened, there was exchange of heated words between the villagers and police. Later, the police resorted to lathi charge, in which a local named Subba Moolya was injured.
The district health officer said that the remaining patients would be provided treatment under the same scheme through other hospitals.
MLA, Shakuntala Shetty said she would raise the topic relating to check-up camps during zero hour in the state assembly.