Allegations of medical negligence in patient's death: Probe initiated

Vijayawada:Tension arose at the New Vijayawada Government General Hospital (GGH) as the relatives of a deceased patient protested outside the facility, alleging medical negligence in the care provided to their family member, who was admitted for treatment on Saturday.

The patient, Garlapati Adhi Pavan Kumar, hailing from Jujjuvaram village in Pamarru Mandal, Krishna district, had been suffering from viral fever for four days before being admitted to the new GGH in the early hours of Saturday. He reportedly passed away from cardiac arrest, which is suspected to have been triggered by a low platelet count, around 9 a.m. that day.

Following the news of the patient's death, the family expressed their outrage, staging a protest and alleging negligence in the treatment provided by the hospital staff.

Dr. A.V. Rao, the in-charge superintendent of Vijayawada GGH, stated that the medical team made every effort to save the patient. "Despite resuscitation efforts for nearly 45 minutes, the patient, who had a platelet count of around 70,000, experienced cardiac arrest around 9 a.m.," Dr. Rao explained. He noted that the patient was admitted at 4:30 a.m. with normal oxygen saturation, although his pulse rate was high.

In response to the incident, health minister Y. Satya Kumar Yadav contacted GGH authorities for further details and has ordered a thorough investigation. Dr. Rao has established a four-member committee, comprising professors of Cardiology, Anesthesia, and General Surgery, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the patient's death.