Thiruvananthapuram: A doctor along with two head nurses in charge of the COVID care activities in the Medical college hospital Thiruvananthapuram have been suspended in connection with the incident relating to the infestation of maggots in bedsores of a bedridden positive patient, officials said on Friday.

Relatives of the 55-year-old man had filed a complaint with the health minister, K K Shailaja on Sunday alleging maggots were found in the sores of the patient when he was brought home after being discharged last month.

Dr Aruna, who is the coordinator of the COVID activities in the hospital, and two head nurses were suspended following the incident.

Meanwhile, a section of other staff including doctors and nurses, led by Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association, held a protest demonstration demanding the suspension order be withdrawn in 48 hours.

Protesting against the suspension, the medical college doctors decided to boycott duties from 8am to 10am on Saturday. The doctors also demand that if the suspension is not taken back, they will refuse to join their duties from Monday.

The Kerala Gazetted Officers Association also demanded revocation of the suspension immediately.

A departmental inquiry into the incident was on and statements of health workers were being recorded.

The health workers were hastily suspended while the evidence was being collected, the association said.

Since the past seven months health workers in the medical college had been tirelessly working against the COVID-19 pandemic, it added.

A daily-wage worker from Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram, the patient, Anil Kumar had suffered serious neck injuries after he slipped and fell from the doorstep of his house on August 21. He was first taken to the Peroorkada Government Hospital and then to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital.

He was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) the next morning. As his health condition worsened, he had to be put on the ventilator. After the COVID-19 infection was confirmed in some patients at the ICU on August 26, Anil Kumar was tested but the results were negative. However, the infection was confirmed on September 6.

(With inputs from PTI)