Patient dies after doctor's refuse treatment

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 June 1999, 23:11 GMT]
Ponnuthamby Iruthayamary, 38, of Thannamunai Batticaloa, died of a heart attack this evening after being refused medical treatment at the out patients' department (OPD) of the Batticaloa hospital.

An inquest into her death was held by the Batticaloa District Judge, Mr.J.Visvanathan.

Giving evidence at the inquest, Iruthayamary's husband said that he had taken his wife to the general hospital when she complained of chest pain. She did not receive any treatment at the OPD and so he took her to the emergency department where the doctor's present refused to attend to her.

Thereafter we took her home, said Iruthayamary's husband.

Witnesses said that on returning home Iruthayamary complained of chest pain again and died on the second trip to the hospital.

The Batticaloa District Judge said in his verdict that her life could have been saved if the doctor's had worked as usual.

Meanwhile, the Batticaloa Patients' Welfare Society has appealed to the authorities to launch a full scale investigation into the incident and to take stern action against those doctors who refused to attend to the said patient.

Ponnuthamby Iruthayamary was the mother of two children.

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