Hospital plays down ragging incident, denies treatment to victim

Hospital records accessed by ‘Express’ show that the hospital authorities failed to report the incident to the police

KOCHI: An alleged lapse on the part of the authorities of Ernakulam General Hospital with regard to the ragging incident involving students of Nattakom Government Polytechnic College (GPC) has kicked off a controversy, at a time when political leaders and student outfits have been demanding action against those responsible for the brutal incident.
Records accessed by Express show that the hospital authorities failed to report the incident to the police, even after it was recorded as a case of ragging. Moreover, the hospital allegedly denied proper treatment to the student who had suffered serious injuries in the attack by senior students.

A grab of the casualty registration card
A grab of the casualty registration card

When the victim, Cheranalloor-native Shaiju D Gopi, sought treatment at the hospital, he was reportedly given medicines and told to report at the ‘surgery OP’ the next day, despite the doctor registering it as a ragging incident in the patient registration card.
“Lapses on the part of any government authority, or, negligence/deliberate delay in reporting the matter to the local police shall be construed as an act of culpable negligence,” said senior police officers.
Shaiju had visited General Hospital on December 4, two days after the incident, as he suffered from severe body pain that made it difficult for him to get up from bed.

Later, he was admitted to Aster Medcity at Cheranalloor, where investigations revealed that Shaiju had blood in his urine. Aster authorities came to know about the ragging incident only after the student disclosed the matter to them. Then, the hospital authorities informed the matter to the Child Welfare Committee and the police.
Subsequently, a complaint was filed by  family members of O S Avinash of Irinjalakuda, the other victim of the ragging incident. It was after that the entire incident came to light.
According to  Aster Medcity chief of medical service Dr P C Alexander, the patient was already suffering from Rhabdomyolysis,  a condition resulting from excessive exercise.

“The severity of illness is such that it could lead to death,” he said. Even after three days of hospitalisation, Shaiju could not overcome the trauma. Though he was initially reluctant to inform the matter to the police, due to fear, he budged after doctors advised him to do so.
Meanwhile, police officers at the Cheranalloor police station said they had not received any communication from General Hospital, and that they registered case based on a complaint lodged by the victim. The case was later handed over to the Chingavanam police.

Ramesh flays CM
Thrissur:  Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the Nattakom ragging case. It was unfortunate that the CM and the Education Minister from the district had not visited Avinash, said Chennithala.  He was speaking to the media after visiting Avinash on Tuesday. Chennithala handed over Rs 25,000 to Avinash’s family. He welcomed the government’s decision to bear the treatment cost of Avinash, but said that it was a late decision.

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