Tamil Nadu - Vellore   

Senior officers probe deaths of patients

VELLORE: A team of two senior medical officers from Chennai, deputed by the Director of Medical Education (DME), conducted an inquiry in the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH) in Adukkamparai near here on Friday into the deaths of two patients, which led to the suspension of three doctors on Tuesday.

Another team from the Directorate of Medical Services will conduct an enquiry on Saturday at the Government Hospital, Arni, into the incident in which a patient died in sterilisation operation.

The Government doctors in the district began a series of agitations on Wednesday, protesting against the suspension of three doctors, Dr. Srikanth and Dr. Shanthi of the GVMCH, and Dr. Rajeswari of the Government Hospital, Arni.

On the recommendation of District Collector Dharmendra Prathap Yadav, Dr. Shanthi, a gynaecologist attached to the GVMCH, was placed under suspension by the DME on Tuesday on charges of negligence leading to the death of a pregnant woman. The woman was referred by the Primary Health Centre, Kodakkal.

Dr. Srikanth, a surgeon attached to the GVMCH, was suspended by the DME on Tuesday on a similar charge of negligence, leading to the death of a woman from Arni in Tiruvannamalai district. She died about six months ago. Dr. Rajeswari of the Government Hospital, Arni, who performed the sterilisation, was also placed under suspension.

Following the issue of the suspension orders, doctors belonging to the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA), Vellore district, have began a series of agitations demanding the revocation of the suspension orders. They said that the suspensions were effected without conducting a departmental enquiry. T. Jayakumar, vice-president of TNGDA, said that the suspension order was issued for Dr. Shanthi without calling for an explanation.

Besides, the Director of Medical Education had ordered an enquiry, but the suspension order was issued before the enquiry report was submitted.

“Let the Government take suitable action on the doctors if they were found guilty of negligence in the enquiry,” he said. Doctors belonging to the TNGDA staged a dharna in front of the GVMCH for an hour daily from Wednesday to Friday.

They would continue the one-hour dharna till Sunday. They would boycott all elective surgeries from July 30 to August 1.

The state executive committee of TNGDA would meet in Chennai on Sunday to discuss the future course of action, he added.

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