Kerala’s public health system under CM Pinarayi Vijayan often projected as a benchmark for accessible and people-centric healthcare, but now it is facing justified scrutiny amid a string of controversies that point to deeper structural concerns. Allegations of surgical lapses, maternal deaths, protests by government healthcare staff and growing public anger have together intensified debate over accountability, patient safety and administrative oversight.
Since the last few months whatever being heard is pathetic. Faulty surgery, leaving behind the scissors in the patient’s stomach after the surgery are not surprises. The incident took place five years before. Then comes the justifications from the doctor as insult to the injury: Doctor said that it is not scissors, but some other equipment and it is “harmless even for fifty years”.
Now, the enquiry report exonerates the doctor and the nurse faces blame. There is a justification for it: Doctor had asked the nurse if all equipment had been taken out before she stitched the incision! Kerala Government Nurses’ Association (KGNA) has protested against this enquiry report which they view as nothing but injustice. This report is highly likely to create fissures in the doctor and nurse rapport in the state.
However, the report is not any music for the ears of Dr. Dr. Bindu Sundar who took decision to perform caesarean in Nedumangad Government Hospital in Tiruvananthapuram district despite serious health issues the mother and the baby suffered. As a result the baby died and Dr. Bindu is under suspension.
Now, the medical college doctors have been boycotting Outpatient (OP) treatment and surgeries since the last one week and last four days respectively. This is in protest against the enquiry report against the doctor in connection with the Nedumangad case causing the death of the baby and her suspension.
Amid this backdrop, Noujisha, a woman in the final state of her pregnancy has died in Pattambi Taluk hospital, Palakkad district. She is a native of Trithala Mezhathoor in the same district. He pregnancy had completed nine months. And, her family members complain that she did not get timely and proper treatment hence she died. Now, police have registered a case. Nouijisha was admitted in the hospital around 10 am on February 20 due to breathing problem and bleeding. Then the patient was shifted to a nearby private hospital. When the doctors examined Noushija, she was dead.
The doctors have also resolved to boycott the Attukal Pongala duties. It is called the Women’s Sabarimala which attracts more than two half millions of women to the Attukal temple, Tiruvananthapuram on March 3. This is on top of the OP boycott in the Nedumangad hospital since the last three days.
Meanwhile government nurses have rejected the enquiry report against their comrade-in-arm. KGNA stated in a press release that it is the primary responsibility of the doctors to make sure that all equipment are taken back, from the body of the patient, after the surgery. Nurses do have only collective responsibility. The organisation warned that if the doctors carry out enquiry and issue the report to save their own people and make the nurses scapegoats, they would go ahead with strong protest.
Ongoing medical college strike, imminent OP boycott, strained relations between the doctors and the nurses and the threat of Attukal Pongala boycott is going to push the medical sector into further mess.
Meanwhile, there are reports that doctors linked to pro-Hindu organisations are going to take over the Attukal Pongala duties so that the government doctors’ boycott will be of no impact.
These unfortunate developments are very significant in view of the tall claims of the CM Pinarayi Vijayan Government that Kerala medical sector is numero uno in the whole country and equal to or higher than the US standard.
It is to be remembered that the medical colleges are always the choice of the poor and ordinary people in the state when they suffer from serious diseases; because, they cannot imagine to afford treatments at private multi speciality hospitals. Still both Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and health minister Veena Goerge keep on telling the media that whatever anomalies exposed are nothing but “isolated incidents”.
