In an incident of alleged medical negligence, a patient died in an ambulance in Thrissur while he was being shifted from a district hospital to a private hospital. The family of KK Sebastian claim that the oxygen supply in the ambulance ran out on the war, leading to the 64-year-old’s death.
“The patient passed away at 1.40 pm on Tuesday. He died reportedly because the cylinder in the district hospital’s ambulance, in which he was being taken, ran out of oxygen,” said an officer from the Thrissur East Police station.
The deceased, who was admitted to the district hospital in Palakkal Angadi Road on Saturday, was reportedly suffering from breathing difficulty.
The family of the deceased claims that the hospital authorities, who suggested that Sebastian be moved to a private hospital for better care, removed his oxygen mask stating that a cylinder will be present in the ambulance.
However, they allegedly failed to check the oxygen level, and the cylinder ran out of oxygen within 2 km of the journey. A hospital staffer was also present inside the ambulance when Sebastian died. However, the hospital staff was reportedly unaware of the lack of oxygen in the cylinder, relatives claim.
Following the incident, Sebastian’s family as well as the local residents protested against the district hospital. The police had to arrive at the hospital to pacify the protesting relatives.
Responding to the controversy, district hospital superintendent said that the matter will be investigated by the hospital.
A complaint has also been registered in the Thrissur East police station against the hospital authorities by Sebastian’s relatives, police sources confirmed.
“We are in the preliminary stages of investigation. The post mortem of the deceased has only just been completed and we are collecting inputs. This is a case of unnatural death that has to be investigated,” a police official said.