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Patient Falls, Dies; Negligence Alleged at Kerala Hospital
31 Aug
Summary
- An 87-year-old patient died two days after falling from a hospital cot.
- Family alleges inadequate care post-fall, while hospital denies negligence.
- Lack of hospital cots with side rails cited as a patient safety concern.
An 87-year-old patient, Sukumara Pillai, passed away on Monday, two days after sustaining injuries from a fall off a cot in a general ward at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The patient, who had been transferred from Kollam Government Medical College following a stroke, fell on August 29. His family alleges that the care provided after the fall was insufficient, leading to his death. They reportedly requested the body be released without a postmortem, which hospital officials denied.
MCH authorities have refuted claims of negligence, stating the patient had his son and sister as companions. The Superintendent confirmed the patient fell while his son was present and emphasized the patient was not unattended. This incident echoes a similar case in June where another patient died after falling from a cot. Hospital officials acknowledged a shortage of cots with side rails, typically reserved for patients without caregivers or those with specific medical conditions. A postmortem was conducted, and the report is pending.
