Health team collects evidence



THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance Cell of the Directorate of Health Services visited the Mental Health Centre (MHC) as part of an inquiry it is conducting separately to find out if there had been any dereliction of duty or responsibility on the part of doctors in giving proper care to Satnam Singh who died at the MHC.

A team of experts, constituted from the Medical Education Service and including a neuro surgeon, a forensic expert, and a psychiatrist and the Additional Director of Health (Vigilance), K Remani, are conducting the detailed inquiry. They collected evidence, details of treatment and took statements from staff members who were on duty in the ward where Satnam Singh was housed. They also took statements from patients in the same ward, according to hospital sources.

Four staff members of the MHC, who directly had a role in caring for Satnam Singh, had been placed under suspension by the Health Department on the basis of the preliminary inquiry conducted by the DMO. The DMO, in his report, had recommended that a detailed inquiry be conducted to probe the allegation that doctors had not taken sufficient caution or care in treating the youth.

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