Villagers call for inquiry into clinic registration, doctor’s qualification; autopsy conducted at district hospital, but report reserved; police begins investigation
MARGAO
Death of a 35-year-old young native of Bihar moments after he was treated at a clinic cum chemist at Colva is shrouded in mystery, raising a host of unanswered questions amongst the members of the family of the deceased and residents of the tourist village.
A three-member medical team of doctors have conducted the autopsy on the body of the deceased at the Hospicio South Goa District Hospital. Doctors, however, have withheld the exact cause of death behind the labourer’s death pending the histopathological report, blood culture report and chemical analysis of viscera which will be carried out at the Forensic laboratory, Verna and the Goa Medical College and hospital Bambolim.
The wife of the deceased Dharmveer Shah and his family members, besides villagers of Colva have, however, called for a thorough investigation and inquiry into the episode. They have demanded to know whether the clinic is registered with the competent authorities, and whether the doctor is into alternate system of medicine or allopathic medicine. “We want to know whether the doctor running the clinic has certificate certifying that she is into alternate system of medicine, and whether the doctor is authorised to administer injections to patients,” a villager demanded to know.
Villagers further demanded that the police investigate whether this is the first time that such an incident has occurred at the clinic.
Narrating the sequence of events resulting in the death of her husband, the wife said she had taken Dharmveer to the clinic after he complained of abdominal pain. “After a check-up, the doctor claimed my husband had low blood pressure. He was administered an injection and some medicines. While we were about to check out, the doctor gave another injection since the BP was low. My husband collapsed at the clinic within five minutes,” she said.
Villagers want the police to investigate how come the patient was taken to a private hospital after his collapse at the Colva clinic instead of referring him to the South Goa District hospital.
When contacted, Colva police station in-charge, PI Satish Padwalkar has pointed out that the police has taken cognisance of the incident and will send the viscera to the Goa Medical College and hospital for chemical analysis. Asked to comment on reports that the doctor running the clinic was a certified doctor in alternate system medicine, PI Padwalkar said the same is under investigation. “I have discussed the matter with the Superintendent of Police, South, Sunita Sawant and DySP Santosh Desai. The police will first send the viscera to the GMC for analysis. Depending on the report, the police will take further action. In the meantime, the police have started recording the statements of concerned persons,” PI Padwalkar added.
