KOTTAYAM: Four doctors have been booked in Kerala’s Alappuzha after a couple lodged a police complaint saying they failed to detect abnormalities in the fetus during prenatal care, and the baby was born with severe internal and external deformities. The couple, Anish and Surumi, also submitted complaints of medical negligence to CM Pinarayi Vijayan and health minister Veena George. The health minister has ordered a special investigation, led by the additional director of the health department, into the case.
The initial inquiry failed to ascertain whether the negligence occurred at govt hospital or the private diagnostic labs involved. Surumi, 35, was under treatment for her third pregnancy and at Kadappuram Govt Women and Child Hospital in Alappuzha. She was admitted to the hospital on Oct 30 for delivery, but was referred to Govt Medical College Hospital on Nov 2 due to the absence of foetal movement and heartbeat.
The baby was delivered on Nov 8 and was found to have severe deformities. The couple alleged that they were not informed of any abnormalities during pregnancy. The FIR names two female gynaecologists from the Kadappuram hospital and two doctors from private diagnostic labs. The lab doctors insist their scans highlighted high fluid levels in the scans, which should have prompted further testing, while the gynaecologists gave a statement that based on the scan reports, they had informed Surumi about the possibilities of deformities.
