Doctor suspended following maggots found in patient’s surgical wound in Thiruvananthapuram Govt Medical College Hospital

Thiruvananthapuram: A senior resident doctor at Thiruvananthapuram Govt Medical College Hospital (MCH) has been suspended after serious lapses were found in patient care in connection with an incident in which maggots were discovered in a patient’s post-surgical wound.

Health minister K Muraleedharan ordered the suspension after reviewing the findings of an expert committee headed by MCH vice-principal, which submitted its report on Wednesday. Accordingly, senior resident Dr Abhijeet has been placed under suspension.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the hospital’s preliminary inquiry, which the minister said appeared to justify the actions of healthcare personnel; he directed a comprehensive investigation into the matter. The expert committee subsequently found significant negligence in patient care and monitoring.

According to the report, the patient’s wound dressing had not been changed for five days, amounting to a serious dereliction of duty. The committee also found that hospital staff failed to respond adequately to concerns raised by the patient’s relatives regarding the condition of the wound.

In addition to the doctor’s suspension, the minister has directed that a nurse accused of behaving inappropriately toward the patient’s family should undergo mandatory counselling.

The patient, Rajendra Prasad, a native of Parippally, was admitted to MCH after sustaining a leg injury in a motorcycle accident on May 28. He underwent surgery during which a metal implant was inserted into his leg.

After being shifted from the ICU to a general ward, family members reportedly noticed foul smell coming from the surgical wound. Upon closer examination, they found maggots in the wound.

Following the incident, the health minister ordered an inquiry report to be submitted within 48 hours. The expert committee concluded that personnel responsible for patient care in the orthopaedic ICU had displayed negligence and a lack of vigilance in monitoring the patient’s condition.

Speaking in the assembly, Muraleedharan said govt would not accept inquiry reports that sought to shield healthcare workers from accountability in cases of medical negligence. He asserted that strict action would be taken against medical personnel found guilty of failing in their responsibilities.