Alappuzha: A four-member expert panel constituted by the District Medical Officer (DMO) on Thursday filed an inquiry report on the death of a 31-year-old woman, after undergoing laparoscopic surgery at the Women and Children’s Hospital here, nearly a week ago.

The Director of Health Services (DHS) will decide whether there are any lapses on the part of the doctors against whom the allegations were raised by the relatives of the woman on the basis of the inquiry report.

“The expert committee filed the report today. We’ll submit the same before the DHS on Saturday (January 26), who will decide whether there is any fault with the government doctor or not,” DMO Jamuna Varghese told Onmanorama.

The incident happened on Friday last when Asha Sarath, a resident of Pazhaveedu, reported discomfort during her laparoscopic surgery and her condition suddenly deteriorated. The Women and Children Hospital authorities said she suffered a heart attack during the surgery, leading to death. When her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha. She died on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, the District Legal Services Authority (LSA) has started a parallel probe. District Programme Co-ordinator B Bindu Bhai visited the house of the deceased on the direction of LSA Sub Judge Pramod Murali and took the statements of her husband Sarath and other relatives. She assured the family of all legal help in the incident.

Holding that the autopsy report lends credence to their allegations of medical negligence, the relatives of of the deceased are slated to file a complaint with the Chief Minister seeking action against the doctors. The autopsy report stated that ‘the deceased died of intraoperative complications of laparoscopic sterilization’. It further clarifies that the patient suffered a cardiac arrest and subsequent hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and multi-organ dysfunction.

Meanwhile, the BJP demanded action against the doctors while accusing the government of shielding them.

“We demand strict action against the erring doctors. There were lapses on the part of the doctor who conducted the surgery and also the one who administered Anastasia….Even after five days of the incident, the Health Minister is yet to call the relatives even on the phone and inquire about the details,” BJP State Spokesperson Sandeep Vachaspati said during a press meet here.