Thiruvananthapuram: State human rights commission (SHRC) chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas on Friday directed district medical officer (DMO) to investigate whether any lapses occurred on the part of the authorities concerned in the incident in which a patient who arrived at Neyyattinkara General Hospital with chest pain collapsed and died.The commission has taken a suo motu case in the incident. The chairperson said deputy DMO must be assigned to conduct the inquiry and record statements from the deceased patient’s relatives, hospital superintendent, doctors, security staff and independent witnesses. The patient’s medical records should be examined to determine the cause of death.The inquiry must also examine whether negligence by anyone contributed to the death and whether a police case has been registered in connection with the incident, and a report should be submitted to DMO. Based on this, DMO must file a detailed report along with the inquiry findings at the commission office within a month. The commission also ordered hospital superintendent to submit a separate report within one month.At the sitting to be held at the commission office at 10am on September 2, the deputy DMO must appear on behalf of the DMO, and a senior officer must appear on behalf of the hospital superintendent.
