A dharna was staged at Yashoda Hospital, Secunderabad, on Saturday morning by the angry relatives, family members and friends of a 46-year-old, who had lapsed into coma, passed away in the hospital.
The patient K. Shamala from Old Bhoiguda was admitted for high blood sugar, paralysis of throat muscles and kidney problems on June 10.
Sai Kiran, the deceased’s son, said, “My mother suffered from a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. She was in the ICU, but she had recovered. She could walk, go to the bathroom and even talk to us. She could not eat as the doctors said that her throat muscles were weak and due to the neurological problem she would have to stay in the hospital for a few days.”
But on June 18, her food pipe had come out and from 6 pm, the nurses were calling the doctors to re-insert the food pipe. Her husband, Purshotham Raj, said, “No food was consumed for more than three hours. The doctor came at 9.30 pm and was very rude. He asked my wife to co-operate and allow him to insert the pipe. The pipe was inserted once, but it came out. We were made to stand and see the insertion of the pipe. The second time, doctor pushed it inside and she got a seizure. Blood started oozing out and all the doctors came running in as she was getting continuous seizures and then lapsed into a coma. They then rushed her to the ICU.”
Family members are fuming about the time lost from 6 pm to 9.30 pm. They have lodged a complaint with the hospital and demanded action against the doctor who didn’t take into consideration the condition of the patient, absence of food for three hours and her diabetic state.
The doctor in fact told the relatives that there were too many patients waiting for him and they must ask their patient to co-operate. As there would be an autopsy, relatives were not willing to lodge a complaint with the police, but have written a complaint to the Telangana health minister.