Doctors call for protest against attack on senior cardiologist in Kozhikode; 2 held

Relatives of woman accuse private hospital of negligence after her child dies during C-Section surgery. Doctors claim child could not be saved due to her critical condition.

Doctors have condemned the attack on a senior cardiologist at a private hospital in Kozhikode city on Saturday night by a group of people who accompanied a pregnant patient admitted there.

While the Kozhikode chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a boycott of all outpatient services, except those related to labour wards and casualty treatment on Monday, the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) said doctors in government hospitals in Kozhikode will stay away from duty if the culprits are not arrested.

According to sources, Hajira Naja, 23, from Kunnamangalam, was admitted to Fathima Hospital in the city on February 24 with high fever. Though C-Section surgery was subsequently performed on her, the child could not be saved because of Ms. Naja’s critical condition, the doctors claimed. Anitha Asokan, the gynaecologist who treated her, told the media on Sunday that Ms. Naja was looked after with the help of doctors in other departments, and her condition improved. A CT scan was performed on her on Saturday based on the advice of the gastroenterologist.

The doctors alleged that Ms. Naja’s husband and people who came with him created a ruckus in the hospital accusing the doctors of deliberately delaying the scan report. They smashed the glass partition in the nurses section. Though Dr. Anitha Ashokan went home subsequently, her husband P.K. Ashokan, senior cardiologist, who came to the hospital thereafter, was attacked by the group. Dr. Ashokan reportedly fell unconscious and suffered injuries on his face and his teeth was broken. All this happened in the presence of police personnel, they said.

Negligence alleged

However, relatives of Ms. Naja told the media that the doctors and the hospital staff had behaved irresponsibly when she was admitted to the hospital. She lost her child because of the negligence of the doctors. Even after the delivery and the loss of the child, Ms. Naja had to go through indescribable suffering. They also claimed that the hospital deliberately delayed the CT scan results to cover up their lapses.

Meanwhile, the Nadakkavu police have arrested two relatives of Ms. Naja in connection with the incident. Cases have been registered against six persons. The Cardiology Society of India Kerala chapter and the Interventional Cardiology Council of Kerala too have condemned the attack on Dr. Ashokan.