Kollam: 14-year-old boy in coma, medical neglect alleged

Kollam: In an alleged case of medical negligence, a 14-year-old boy who was administered with anaesthesia for surgery to rectify fracture on his hand at a private hospital in Kollam is in an unconscious state for the last 11 days.

M. Ayyappan said Abi, his younger son, suffered the fracture on his left hand after a fall from his bicycle on April 27 and was taken to Nair's Hospital here. The next day he was given anaesthesia for the surgery.

“After hours without information on my son from the operation theatre, I contacted the doctor who said he was given overdosage of anaesthetics and was on the ventilator. He never woke up from the unconscious stage,” he said.

Later, they shifted him to another private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where he showed no signs of improvement.

Meanwhile, the family alleges that the police and other authorities have not taken any action against the hospital despite repeated complaints.

“We have filed petitions with the Kollam ACP, chief minister, the health minister, and the human rights commission, but no action came,” said Mr Ayyappan, who had spent nearly Rs 3 lakh for his treatment, but lost all hopes.

“When anaesthesia was rendered, a complication developed which went into cardiac arrest. The doctors revived the heart, and later the child went into an unconscious stage. As a neurosurgeon was absent at the hospital, the child was referred to a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. The complication is rarest of the rare and cannot be considered as a case of medical negligence,” hospital authorities told DC.

Abi is an Eighth Standard student at the Christ Raja School in Kollam.