Ernakulam Government Medical College gets a strike' treatment
Students boycott classes for the day, stage a gag protest on campus
KOCHI: Students of the Ernakulam Government Medical College, who returned after the funeral of their college mate Shamna Tasnim, boycotted classes and staged a gag protest at the college. They also contacted Health Minister K.K. Shylaja over phone to convey their grief and angst over the death of Shamna and demanded that apart from the high level probe the Minister has ordered into her death, the issues including deficiencies that led to her death should be urgently resolved.
House Surgeons Association president Jayasoorya P G said that the Minister asked the RMO and the Principal to urgently submit the list of equipment needed for the medical college to Kerala Medical Service Corporation Limited. The officials sat with the students in the day itself and identified equipment worth Rs 1.3 crore. "We want the equipment to be in place in a week and we will make a review of the progress made on Thursday," said Jayasoorya.
Jayasoorya also said that the reasons for Shamna's death included lack of crucial equipment, deficiency of staff especially when emergency situations arise, problems with lifts and absence of cardiology wing. An internal probe by a team earlier instituted by the EMC authorities comprising RMO Dr Ganesh Mohan and former medical superintendent Dr K G R Mallan the other day had reported that there was no lapse leading to the death of Shamna at the medical college, following which students' protests came up.
There are allegations that a member of this committee that probed the issue was related to a doctor who is covered by the probe. The member of the committee returned to his administrative position only the other day.
Health minister orders probe
Health Minister K.K. Shylaja on Thursday visited the house of Shamna Tasnim at Sivapuram in Mattannur in Kannur. She said a high-level special medical department probe will be conducted into the unnatural death of the MBBS student. The probe team will be led by Assistant Medical Director, she added. The minister said that the team has been instructed to complete the probe fast and submit report.
Ms Shylaja also said that the Ernakulam Government Medical College (EMC), Kalamassery, was handicapped in several areas and the government will initiate steps to set it right soon. The minister also consoled the grieving father K.A. Abootty and mother Sharifa.