Mangaluru, Mar 25: The sudden deaths of a 9-year-old girl and an elderly woman after undergoing heart surgery at Omega Hospital in the city triggered a massive protest near Puttur some 50 kilometers from here on Tuesday.
Ayishat Haseena (9) daughter of Mammuchi, an endosulfan victim from Arlapadavu village and Poovakka (69), wife of Kittanna Rai from Panaje breathed their last after they underwent heart surgery at the private hospital. Another woman, Sundari (45), wife of Chaniya, a resident of Chambarakatte village is in a critical condition after undergoing surgery at the same hospital.
Hundreds of protesters brought the dead body of one of the deceased to Panaje Primary Health Centre in Puttur on Tuesday and staged a protest. When the police tried to send them home, the protesters insisted that the district health officer and surgeons of Omega Hospital should visit the spot.
When the District Health Officer and physicians from Omega Hospital visited the spot, the protesters manhandled one of the doctors and also tried to assault DHO.
Police resorted to baton charge to disperse the protesters and brought the situation under control. The DHO and doctors were later sent back to Mangaluru with police protection.
The deceased were among the 30 “beneficiaries” of a free health check-up camp organized for BPL card holders under Vajpayee Arogyasri scheme on March 10 at Panaje Primary Health Centre. Among them as many as 12 patients underwent surgeries at Omega Hospital as per the recommendations of the experts at the camp.
Ayishat Haseena died on March 19 while Poovakka breathed her last on March 24. Family members and villagers hold botched surgeries responsible for their deaths.
Puttur MLA Shakuntala Shetty said she would raise the issue during zero hour in the state assembly. The DHO said that the other patients would be provided treatment in other hospitals.
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