Youth dies in Kollam ahead of decision on euthanasia

Thiruvananthapuram: A young man, who went for rhinoplasty surgery at Meditrina hospital in Kollam, has died. Relatives have accused the hospital of medical negligence. Incidentally, 27-year-old Sooraj Jayakumar’s case is the first one where a request for euthanasia was placed by his brother Sujith Jayakumar, following the Supreme Court verdict on passive euthanasia.

Sooraj, a Technopark employee who lives at Sreekaryam,.breathed his last on Wednesday around 9.30 am at Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. His surgery—rhinoplasty with rib cartilage structural reconstruction—was performed at a private hospital on February 27.

Upon a complaint submitted at Eravipuram station, a case under IPC 174 has been charged against the hospital, according to SI M Sujathan. “We have not filed a case under medical negligence, yet. The investigation is on,” he said. The autopsy is scheduled for Thursday. His relatives say that he fell into a coma because of hypoxia, as his brain did not get oxygen for a prolonged time. “We shifted him to another private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where we were told that most of his brain was already dead. His liver and kidney were also damaged. Except for the heart which was beating, he was 99 per cent gone. They advised us to shift him to a government hospital, as the ventilator cost would be less. At the Government Medical College Hospital, I placed a request with the hospital for euthanasia, but they said that the medical board will have to take a call on that. Before that he passed away,” says Sujith. Authorities at Meditrina say that they had tried their best. “The patient was sedated, and removed from the ventilator accidentally in the ICU. Since he was being constantly monitored, the doctor and nurse could act immediately. He suffered a heart attack, but was revived. If we were negligent, the patient would have died then and there,” says Dr Manju P N, CEO, Meditrina.