Harsheena should opt for the path of law

Not days or weeks, long five years Harsheena lived with a pair of scissors inside her abdomen which was left there in medical negligence during surgery as part of her pregnancy. Errors during treatment are not unusual in our state. Many had shorter lives from such errors. Apart from being a personal loss for the family and relatives, it is a fact that these errors never grow to a scale of a crime or murder. The commotion in the beginning, subsides eventually.

The knowledge that there is a pair of scissors stuck in the belly of Harsheena who is a native of Adivaram, Kozhikode came out only after five years. It was revealed after the examination due to harsh pain and sickness she was suffering. The lady had to go through extreme pain till the severe failure on the part of Kozhikode medical college was identified. She faced physical difficulties after the scissors were removed from her through surgery in the same hospital on 17th September last year. On normal grounds, taking into account the negligence of the hospital, Harsheena is eligible for a hefty amount as compensation. There are provisions to file a criminal case against the doctor who committed the mistake. But none of that happened. When Harsheena's misery became news, the medical college tried to wrap it up with an investigation. When there were protests against that, a new investigation by the health department was announced. A report favoring Harsheena was submitted by this investigation team.

The strange story is that the health department has not released this report yet. Health minister Veena George had called Harsheena personally to promise her that a decision will be made within a week. It was declared that an investigation led by the additional chief secretary of health department will also be in motion. But nothing happened.

To protest against this denial of justice, it has been decided to start a hunger strike in front of Kozhikode medical college.

The word given by a minister is considered as the word given by the government. If no value is given to that word then whom should the petitioner depend upon? Ministers may be busy officials who may not have time to solve the issues of individual complaints like this. But how can the health minister stay away from the responsibility for a serious mistake that happened at Kozhikode medical college which comes under her department? If this happened in a different country this rare case would have made the government pay the victim crores as compensation. There are rules to take action against the relatives of a patient if they attack the hospital and staff in the name of medical negligence. But for the loss and suffering caused by medical negligence at hospitals, the victims have to take refuge at the court. It is advised that Harsheena better approach the court instead of waiting for generosity from the government. Ones who know how the law works should give her the support and help necessary.