Palliative care hospital closed after three COVID deaths

COVID patients shifted to Thrissur Medical College Hospital

The Health department closed a palliative care hospital at Vallachira, near Thrissur, on Wednesday after three COVID patients died at the hospital.

In an inquiry at the Santhi Bhavan Palliative Care Hospital, the health department team found that there was no full-time doctor for attending to the critically ill patients. Of the 23 patients, 11 had tested positive for COVID-19.

“I got a complaint three days ago from a nurse in Kollam. Her father died in the palliative care hospital recently. The body was shifted to Kollam saying he was COVID negative. The body was kept openly for the public to pay homage. As they couldn’t produce COVID negative certificate at the time of cremation, the body was taken to a private hospital and he was tested positive posthumously,” said District Medical Officer K.J. Reena.

“Yesterday night, another person died of COVID-19 in the centre. During an inquiry, we found that it was the third COVID death in centre recently,” she said.

“There are 23 patients in the hospital and all are in category C. The hospital does not have a full-time doctor. When asked they said their doctor had tested positive for COVID recently. But they have not informed the health department about it. The centre has not registered under Clinical Establishment Act,” the DMO said.

The hospital has been evacuated. All the COVID patients were shifted to the Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital. The other patients were sent with their relatives to their homes after COVID screening tests.