Family members of a COVID-19 patient have accused the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital of negligence, alleging that he was found with maggots on his body after his discharge. The man had tested positive for the novel coronavirus while receiving treatment at the hospital.
Anil Kumar from Vattiyoorkavu was admitted to the hospital after being injured in a fall on August 21. While the fall left him paralysed, Anil ended up getting COVID-19 while under treatment, contracting the virus from other patients who were in the hospital’s ICU. He tested positive for the coronavirus on September 6. His family members were asked to go into quarantine, while Anil was shifted to the hospital’s COVID-19 ward.
Twenty days later, Anil was discharged from the hospital on September 26. After reaching home, his relatives found that he had bed sores on his back, which were infested with maggots, and was causing a foul smell. His relatives also allege that Anil Kumar lost so much weight in one month that his ribs are visible.
Anil Kumar’s family gave a written complaint to the Health Minister alleging medical negligence by the hospital. Speaking to the media, his relatives alleged that hospital staff did not take care of Anil after he contracted COVID-19. They allege that severe wounds around his neck point to the fact that hospital staff did not clean his wounds.
They further alleged that although they called up the hospital everyday to enquire about his health, no one informed them of his condition. It was only on reaching home that they came to realise Anil’s health condition.
"When we enquired, they just told us his oxygen levels were very low. Other than that, they did not inform me of anything. When he returned home, this was his condition. Now maggots are all over his body," Anjana, Anil Kumar's daughter, told the media.