R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (EP)
Karkala, May 10: A woman who was admitted to Karkala government hospital for chest pain and breathing difficulties died sometime later after she was hospitalised. The family of the deceased have alleged that the lack of timely action by the police and prompt treatment at the hospital caused her death.
Manjula, a resident of Parappady, Nallur village in Karkala, had complained of chest pain on Monday, May 10 morning. The police on duty on the way to Karkala government hospital had forced the vehicle that was ferrying her to return as a lockdown was imposed. The family had later taken an alternative route to reach the hospital hoodwinking the police. However, it took some time for the hospital staff to attend to her. The family has expressed anguish that the delay caused by the police and the hospital caused her death.
Her younger sister claimed that her sister did not have a serious illness. “She complained only of chest pain and was speaking on the way. The doctor here killed my sister without providing treatment,” she said.
Police did not allow the vehicle to go after repeated requests, alleges family
“The police on duty at the check post near Bajagoli, Karkala, stopped our vehicle and asked us to return. We pleaded that we are taking Manjula to Karkala government hospital as she has chest pain and breathing problems. But the police remained indifferent and asked us to carry Manjula by a 108 ambulance if necessary. We went by inner road to the hospital thereafter. Manjula lost her life as we reached late,” said her younger sister.
Police refute claims by the family
“There is no connection between the death of Manjula and the traffic police action. Manjula’s family had shifted her directly from Bajagoli to the private hospital by an inner road. They shifted Manjula to the government hospital after two hours of treatment when her condition in the private hospital worsened. She died in the government hospital when she was undergoing Covid tests. The police department had created no hurdles for the travel,” clarified police circle inspector Sampath Kumar to the media.