Angry villagers stage huge protest as heart surgery goes awry; claims 2 lives

Angry villagers stage huge protest as heart surgery goes awry; claims 2 lives

Mangalore Today News Network

Puttur, Mar 25, 2015: A huge protest was held at Panaje in Puttur taluk on March 24, Tuesday night by angry villagers  following an incident wherein a woman and a   nine year old girl who underwent a heart surgery at a private hospital in Mangaluru after participating in a free health check-up camp, lost their lives.

 

 

It is said the condition of one more woman who also underwent a surgery is critical.  The protestors also gheraoed the District Medical Officer and even allegedly  assaulted a doctor of the hospital.

Police had to even resort to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd which numbed over one thousand.

The case  :  Endosulfan affected girl Ayishath Haseena (9), a class IV student of  the local government school and daughter of  Mummunhi of Arlapadavu  and Poovakka (69), wife of Kittanna Rai of Panaje Bollimbala who had undergone  surgery at the hospital after participating in the camp meant for BPL card holders under Vajpayee Arogya Shree Scheme held at Panaje on March 10, had  died. Meanwhile, Sundari (45), wife of Chaniya Madivala of Chimbarakatte who also underwent heart surgery is critical.

The camp was held under the aegis of the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust. The Omega Hospital which conducted the camp had identified 30 beneficiaries  of whom 28 were taken to Mangaluru  with the help of Puttur Government Hospital’s Arogya Mithra Harish on March 11.

On March 18, thirteen patients were admitted for surgery while the rest were sent home after prescribing medicines.

Protest : The body of Poovakka was placed at the Panaje Primary Health Centre during protest by public.The villagers were adamant that they would not budge from the spot unless the DHO and the doctors of the private hospital who conducted the surgery arrived.

Later, when the DHP and doctors arrived, the villagers began to question them and the DHO whose reply did not satisfy the protestors had to face their ire as they virtually gheraoed him.A doctor of the privatee hospital was also assaulted and this led to a heated exchange of words between villagers and the police. A local resident named Subbu Moolya was injured in the lathi charge.

Meanwhile, locals allege that the hospital authorities have performed the surgery merely with an intention of monetary gains as the government reimburses the surgery expenses under Vajpayee Arogya Shree  Scheme. They have also demanded a thorough investigation into the case and action against the guilty.