The postmortem report of the toddler, who died on Sunday morning in Kodungallur, has revealed that he had swallowed two coins. The family had alleged that the three-year-old was denied treatment at three different hospitals, which led to the death.
But the postmortem report does not suggest that the coins inside the stomach were the cause of death. As per the initial reports, further chemical examination is required to find out the cause of death.
Fifty paise and one rupee coins were found in the stomach of the boy.
Three-year-old Prithviraj, son of Raja and Nandini, was taken to Aluva Taluk hospital, Ernakulam General hospital and Alappuzha Medical college for treatment. But in all of these hospitals, the parents were advised to feed bananas and water to the child so that the coins would get ejected.
Reports indicate that the coins have not caused any damage to the internal organs of the child. His internal organs were sent to the Regional Examiner's Laboratory in Kakkanad. Only after the examination of the organs will the cause of death be known.
Superintendent of Alappuzha Medical College Hospital, RV Ramlal, had earlier told TNM that usually swallowed objects found in the stomach were not removed by surgery immediately, that experts advise the object come out through excretion. He also asserted that whatever was advised to the child was according to the procedure. He said that in these situations the doctors would advise to feed more so that the coins easily come out. He had also said that the cause of death cannot be analysed without detailed examination.
The last rituals of the child will be held in Paravur in Ernakulam district.
The child's mother Nandini had told the media that they reached back from the hospital on Saturday, late in the evening, and the child had shown some uneasiness. She said that the boy was found dead the next morning. Hospitals in Aluva and Ernakulam that they initially went to clarified that they did not have pediatric surgeons at their hospitals so they asked the family to go to another hospital. However the relatives have alleged that the child was denied treatment by the hospitals citing reason that only COVID-19 treatment was available currently.
Watch: Dr M Muraleedharan of IMA on the coin swallowing case