Wayanad: Even as political leaders and the relatives of Vellachalil Paul, who died while being transported to Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, are accusing the doctors of the delay in shifting the patient, the medical fraternity at the Mananthavadi facility say that they did all that could to ensure life-saving from 9 am to 1 pm.
Doctors at the Government Medical College, Manathavady, lament that they are at the receiving end of the public's ire despite their efforts.
Paul, an employee at the Kuruva Eco-Tourism project under the Forest Department, was attacked by an elephant herd on Friday morning. He succumbed to his injuries by evening, which triggered widespread protests in Wayanad.
A doctor, on condition of anonymity, told Onmanorama that when Paul was brought to the hospital, his heartbeats were feeble and his blood pressure was falling. “But he had memory and was talking, though feebly,” he said. “From 9 am when he was brought till 1 pm, a team of 14 doctors attended him. His body was turning pale indicating internal bleeding. We were trying to stabilise him. All of us were sure that if we sent him straight away to Kozhikode Medical College, without administering essential primary care, Paul would not have survived even for an hour,” the doctor said.
“As the internal bleeding was heavy and there were blood clots in the lungs, it was essential to undergo a cardiothoracic surgery. There was neither a cardiothoracic surgeon nor a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) machine anywhere in Wayanad.
So we contacted experts from Kozhikode Medical College who insisted on shifting the patient. There were three visible rib fractures. As the internal bleeding continued unabated, three units of blood were pumped in along with 1 unit of plasma,” the doctor said.
Ultrasound and CT scanning also confirmed clots and bleeding between the liver and lungs. “If the bleeding was from the lever, Paul could have been treated at Mananthavadi itself. But as the bleeding was from the lungs, there was no other choice but to shift him to Kozhikode,” the doctor said.
Meanwhile, the health minister’s office assured the doctors that experts from Kozhikode would be available. However, due to the non-availability of a cardiopulmonary bypass facility, including at WIMS Medical College, Paul was sent to Kozhikode in a medical ICU ambulance along with a doctor and three staff.
“We were confident that Paul would reach Kozhikode and be healthy”, the doctor said. But he died on the way to Kozhikode. "We did our best to save him", said the doctor. "We are trying to do our level best despite lack of funds, medicine and staff,” he said.
Dr V P Rajesh, the Superintendent of WMCH, denied alleged negligence. “All care was taken while treating Paul. The entire team of specialists was present to stabilise his condition and till he was shifted to Kozhikode Medical College,” he said.
