Pay ₹10 lakh to parents of dead child, rights panel tells hospital

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed a private hospital in Ranni, Pathanamthitta district, to pay a financial assistance of ₹10 lakh to the parents of a five-year-old child who died last year reportedly after he fell down while playing at school.

The commission of member N. Sunanda directed the managing director of Mar Thoma Medical Mission Centre at Ranni to pay the assistance to the parents of Aaron V. Varghese, a Class I student of Government MTLP School, Pathanamthitta. Aaron died in February last year.

Acting on petitions by Socialist Janata Dal district unit office-bearers, the commission also directed the Pathanamthitta District Police Chief to take steps to register a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the hospital authorities and doctors where the child was taken for treatment. The complainants alleged that Aaron was taken to Mar Thoma Hospital for treatment but was administered anaesthesia without conducting proper tests. Holding the hospital responsible for the child’s death, they demanded action against its management and staff.

Lapses found

The commission examined the reports submitted to it and found lapses in Aaron’s treatment at the hospital. It was of the opinion that the post-mortem examination findings had been altered to help the hospital authorities. There was no possibility of the child dying of complications arising from urinary tract infection. The M.O.S. chemical examinations were delayed deliberately. There was no clarity on the need to perform Closed Manipulation Reduction on the child. This was against justice and a violation of child rights. His opportunity to expert treatment was denied. Procedures to be done before taking the child for surgery were not followed. The loss of the child was a lapse on the part of the hospital authorities. The orthopaedic doctor who hailed from outside the State did not have registration as required by the law concerned, the commission said.

It directed the Mar Thomas hospital MD to consider children coming to the hospital as individuals and provide them proper and effective medical treatment.