Kerala govt hospital death: Patient queued 30 minutes for OP ticket; whistleblower Dr questions care

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: The death of a 52-year-old man who allegedly waited in a queue despite complaining of chest pain at Neyyattinkara District Hospital has triggered sharp criticism of Kerala's UDF government, with Health Minister K. Muraleedharan ordering an immediate inquiry into the incident.

Rajeshkumar, a resident of Koottapana in Neyyattinkara, reached the district hospital at around 6.30 pm on Thursday with chest pain. According to the Health Department and allegations raised by his relatives, he was not allowed to consult a doctor without first obtaining an outpatient (OP) ticket and was allegedly made to stand in a queue for more than 30 minutes.

He later managed to see a doctor but collapsed and died.

The Health Minister directed the District Medical Officer to conduct an immediate inquiry and submit a report. In a statement, Muraleedharan said strict action would be taken if the inquiry established that a patient requiring emergency care had been made to wait in a queue. He added that further action would be decided based on the inquiry report.

The incident led to tense scenes at the hospital as relatives, members of the public and political workers confronted hospital authorities. Police were called to the hospital to bring the situation under control.

Doctor's criticism adds to scrutiny

The incident drew criticism from Dr Haris Chirackal, Head of the Urology Department at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, who questioned the handling of the patient's treatment in a Facebook post that was later deleted.

Dr Chirackal said patients arriving with chest pain should not be asked to stand in queues or obtain OP tickets before receiving emergency medical attention. He also questioned the reported decision to refer the patient to the Medical College instead of providing immediate emergency care, saying such patients should first be admitted to the emergency department and monitored.

Calling for a thorough investigation, he described the reported sequence of events as serious negligence.

According to Rajeshkumar's relatives, he had developed chest pain while at work and was taken to the hospital by colleagues. They alleged that despite informing security staff about his condition, they were asked to wait in the OP queue. His wife later arrived at the hospital, after which he was seated on a chair before collapsing.

The relatives further alleged that an ECG confirmed a heart attack but claimed he did not receive the immediate treatment normally administered in such cases before being referred to the Medical College. They said he died before the ambulance could take him there.

They also claimed only one doctor was on duty in the emergency department at the time.

Hospital Superintendent Joy John later met the family and doctors. Following the incident, a decision was taken to suspend the security staff member pending an inquiry.

Dr Chirackal is known for previously exposing alleged systemic shortcomings at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, during the previous LDF government's tenure through a viral social media post, which led to official inquiries and widespread public debate over Kerala's public healthcare system.