Action panel alleges doctors' revenge; IMA denies it

Kozhikode: An action committee demanding justice for Bhavya, 18, of Madappally near Vadakara, has alleged that they had to take the patient out of the state for treatment fearing revenge by Indian Medical Association (IMA).

K. Kalajith, its chairman, alleged that her "relatives had strongly felt neglect" on the part of doctors at various hospitals and hence went to Tamil Nadu.

The incident which triggered the entire episode occurred on April 23 at Asha hospital Vadakara, where she was brought to for treating a migraine.

Hospital RMO Dr Anuraj gave her an injection and later administered another one as the pain did not subside. Soon she felt unconscious resulting in a brawl between relatives and hospital staff.

“It was an emotional situation where a girl who came walking to the hospital felt unconscious and not speaking. The hospital staff was not willing to give case history to take her to Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Kozhikode. So, the relatives forced the RMO to accompany them,” its convener U.M. Surendran said.

Soon, seven policemen reached the spot, and the doctor was taken in the ambulance along with the patient in front of the police personnel. Hardly 300 metres away, the ambulance was waylaid by a police jeep, and they asked the doctor to get down, says Mr Surendran.

Meanwhile, the incident of ‘forcibly taking a doctor out of hospital’ invited the wrath of doctors’ fraternity and close to 6,000 doctors of IMA abstained from duty in the district on May 3.

Bhavya was put under observation at MCH and discharged the next day. According to the action committee members, she did not recover from the paralysis condition of limbs even after a week and was taken to Pariyaram Medical College Hospital (PMCH).

“We went to Mahi Government Hospital, they referred to Thalassery Hospital where there was no urologist, and finally we reached PMCH. She was admitted there, and the second day the doctor had a strong advice to Bhavya and her mother in closed doors about the slugfest with IMA,” said Mr Kalajith.

The relatives’ suspected IMA intervention and Bhavya was taken to Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, IMA state president Dr V.G. Pradeep Kumar told DC that the allegation is totally false.

“Our genuine protest was against the fear stricken ambience a doctor was forced to work in,” he clarified.

Vadakara police had arrested two in the case, and five others had taken anticipatory bail. The action committee has announced a sit-in before the hospital on May 19 demanding justice.