Medial negligence cost lyricist Vayalar Rama Varma’s life: Writer

Thursday, September 15, 2011: In a shocking revelation 35 years after the death of Mayalam’s most celebrated lyricist Vayalar Rama Varma, a writer has claimed that untimely demise of the poet was caused by infusion of wrong blood group in the Medical College Hospital here.

Noted poet and journalist Ezhachery Ramachandran claimed that he has been told of this by a close aide and follower of Varma, who was present at the hospital at the time of his death.

Varma, who was 47 when he died on October 27, 1975, was admitted to the hospital following a liver complaint. He had undergone successful surgery and had been recovering when the serious lapse allegedly occurred, Ramachandran said.

“The surgery was performed by an eminent doctor in the city, who is no more. The negligence, however, was caused by the house surgeon and the nurse on duty,” Ramachandran said.

After completing the eight-hour-long surgery, the doctor left the operation theatre for some rest. The first bottle of the blood was given in the presence of the doctor, which was the right group. But, the grievous slip-up allegedly happened when the second bottle was administered, which was of wrong group. The poet began to shiver and died immediately, he said.

Ramachandran, also president of Kerala Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society (SPCS), said this was known to him for long but he chose to keep it in his mind to avoid a controversy being created about his most favourite poet.

Popularly known as Vayalar, Rama Varma has left hundreds of Malayalam ever-haunting film songs known for their romantic charm, philosophical depth and rich imagery.