Death of kidney transplant patient: Kerala health minister justifies suspension of doctors

Following the death of a kidney transplant patient at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, two doctors were suspended. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the action was not a punishment but a means to facilitate a comprehensive probe.

The heads of Nephrology and Urology departments in the medical college hospital were suspended on Monday over the lack of coordination in the kidney transplant.

Responding to the questions raised by the Doctors' Union, she said no lapse committed in the treatment of common people was acceptable as the patient's life is predominantly the responsibility of the doctor.

She said the life of every patient coming to the state-run hospitals and medical colleges is important to the government and the health department. The Health Minister raised the question: "who should be responsible for the patients' lives, if doctors do not have such a responsibility".

George also issued a warning regarding lapses in the system of government medical colleges. She said such lapses cannot continue anymore and the government will not allow it at any cost.

After the death of the patient due to a four-hour delay in surgery, rumours of unidentified persons carrying the box containing the harvested organ from the ambulance to the medical college were circulating. The minister had issued a probe into the same.

However, the ambulance driver told the media that he was one of those who carried the box inside the hospital to avoid delays in the procedure. He claimed not even the security staff at the hospital knew about the arrival of the organ and no preparation was made there to receive it. "A doctor and a security staff were also with us while we were running with the box inside the hospital".