Kollam: Protest against death of pregnant woman due to doctors' negligence

Kollam: A protest against the death of a pregnant Dalit woman following alleged medical negligence at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital spilled on to the streets with the agitant attendants of the victim conducting protests against the police for ‘failing’ to register a case against the ‘culprits’ and the doctors associations who are trying to defend themselves.

The people who came together under the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS) will hold a protest march towards the rural SP office in Kottar-akkara on Friday demanding the police to file a case against the doctor-in-charge for homicide. The organisation has also warned that it would block Indian Medical Association and Kerala Government Medical Officers Association officials on the road.

“The woman was admitted to the hospital after her physical condition worsened. The doctor on duty went out after giving her an injection and did not return till she died. The doctor who conducted autopsy at the Thiruvananthapuram MCH told the relatives that an immediate surgery could have saved either the mother or the child. Now the doctors and police is trying to arrest the relatives of the Dalit girl for questioning the medical negligence at the hospital,” alleged Ushalayam Sivara-jan, KPMS district secretary.

Sahida, 31, wife of Baiju, Muslim Street, Kottarakkara allegedly died due to medical negligence on the night of May 14.

The woman sought medical aid at the hospital, but died inside the labour room. The relatives complained against the doctor in-charge of the operation theatre. They also alleged that the woman was given an high dose injection, which might have caused her death.

Meanwhile, the doctors alleged that Dr Sreeja, the gynaecologist who attended on the woman, was threatened and manhandled by relatives of the woman.

The doctors affiliated to KGMOA conducted a strike in the district on Friday demanding the arrest of the relatives of the woman.