A woman and a nine-year-old girl who died after heart surgeries conducted under a central government-sponsored health scheme apparently did not have any heart ailment.
Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel made the startling revelation at a review meeting of the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee here on Monday. The committee was reviewing the progress of Centrally-sponsored rural development projects.
According to Mr. Kateel, the woman and the girl from Panaje near Puttur underwent surgery at the local Omega Hospital under the Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme. The woman only had high blood sugar but was made undergo heart surgery. The girl was suffering from depression and did not have any history of heart ailment. Their deaths were reported about a week ago.
The hospital, has, however maintained that there was no wrong-doing on its part and surgeries were conducted after ascertaining the condition of the patients.
The MP disagreed with the District Health Officer's stand that the victims had heart ailments and said he had all the documents related to the two patients.
Mr. Kateel also said he would file a law suit against those responsible, especially the Government officials, if they did not act in the case. He wondered if the officials were trying to profit for private hospitals coming under the scheme.
Stating that he was unhappy with the investigation by officials in the cases, Mr. Kateel said the State Government should compensate the victims.
The MP said the health of seven more patients in Panaje was in a bad condition, with one of them being rendered immobile after surgeries that followed a health camp organised in the village under the scheme. He asked District Health Officer Ramakrishna to visit the patients and get them examined.
