Police in Karkala have initiated legal action against doctors at a private hospital following serious allegations of medical negligence that led to a patient's death. The case stems from a complaint filed by a family who lost their mother after what they describe as a critical delay in treatment and a lack of communication from the medical staff.
Chronology of Events Leading to the Tragedy
The incident revolves around 52-year-old Zubaid, who had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Karkala since May 10 due to persistent health issues. On the morning of May 14, around 9:30 AM, Zubaid experienced severe abdominal pain and was rushed back to the same facility.
After an initial examination, she was put on intravenous fluids. However, her family, represented by complainant Mubeena, alleges that despite their repeated pleas, no doctor attended to Zubaid for several crucial hours. It was only around 1 PM that Dr. Nagaratna arrived, assessed the situation, and declared that an emergency surgery was immediately necessary as the patient's life was in danger.
The Operation and the Aftermath
Zubaid was swiftly taken to the operation theatre where Dr. Nagaratna, Dr. Rehmatulla, and Dr. KS Rao were present. Around 4 PM, Dr. Rehmatulla emerged and informed the waiting family that the patient needed to be transferred to a hospital in Mangaluru. In a shocking turn, when the family later sought to check on her inside the theatre, hospital authorities instead informed them that Zubaid had passed away.
Based on the family's formal complaint, the Karkala Town police registered a case. The gravity of the allegations prompted the Deputy Commissioner of Udupi to order a detailed inquiry into the possible medical negligence.
Official Inquiry Confirms Lapses
The investigation was carried out by Dr. H Ashok, the district surgeon at the Government District Hospital in Udupi. His report, which became pivotal to the case, highlighted several significant failures.
The report concluded that the doctors failed to take essential precautionary measures before the surgery. It also noted that the medical team did not inform the patient's relatives about her critical condition despite having sufficient time to do so. The report confirmed, through the doctors' own written statements, that the patient died during the surgical procedure.
The official finding stated that prima facie medical negligence on the part of the surgeons was evident. Armed with this report, the Karkala Town police formally registered a case under Section 106 (causing death by negligence) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation into the matter is currently ongoing.
