HC directs TN to probe dumping of patients by hospital staff

Chennai, Jan 5 (UNI) A Division Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to conduct a detailed investigation into charges that ''hapless patients'' admitted to the Government General Hospital here were being dumped by the hospital staff at various in the city.

The bench comprising Justices D Murugesan and V Periya Karuppiah, while passing orders on a habeas corpus petition, directed the State Health Secretary to cause a detailed investigation as to the allegations, more particularly, the report published in an English daily to this effect and submit a report before the Court on January 22.

The petitioner from Cuddalore district, filed the habeas corpus petition stating that his father K Samikannu, aged about 68 years, was admitted to the hospital by the police after he went missing on December one last, but his whereabouts were not known.

He brought to the notice of the court, the report published in the English daily, which said a 50-year-old man was lying unconscious outside the General Hospital with urine tubes and intravenous needles attached to him, unattended for four hours till the police intervened.

The report, quoting a hospital employee said when patients had no caretaker, the staff often dumped such patients as they could not extract money from them.

Taking serious note of the report, the bench also directed the Resident Medical Officer of the General Hospital to file a report on January 22 with regard to the fate of the patient Samikannu.

The petitioner said he searched for his father after he left his house without informing his family members and when he visited the Cuddalore Government hospital, he was told that an old man was brought by the police and admitted with bleeding injuries on the head and body.

The petitioner's enquiry revealed that his father was referred to the General Hospital in Chennai for a CT scan and admission.

When he came to the city, he found that his father was missing and came across the report in the daily.

UNI XR/WS PB HT1917