Representative image of a hospital.
Credit: iStock photo
Chikkamagaluru: A video alleging medical negligence has gone viral on social media, in which a person claims that a doctor was talking on a mobile phone while a patient was struggling to breathe, and that the doctor’s negligence led to the patient’s death.
Manjunath (60), a resident of Lakshmipura village, was suffering from breathing problems and was admitted to a government hospital by local residents.
According to the person who recorded the video, the patient was gasping for breath on a stretcher in the emergency ward, while the doctor on duty was allegedly seated and talking on a mobile phone.
It is alleged that despite being at the hospital for a considerable period, the patient did not receive timely treatment and was shifted late to the intensive care unit. The delay, it is claimed, resulted in his death.
Responding to the allegations, District Surgeon Dr Chandrashekar said there was no question of negligence at the government hospital.
He stated that the doctor on duty had provided treatment to the patient and later used the phone to review X-ray reports related to another patient. “Some people recorded that moment and circulated the video,” he said.
Clarifying further, Dr Chandrashekar said that he himself reached the spot and admitted the patient to the ICU. However, Manjunath, who was suffering from pneumonia, passed away. “There was no negligence on the part of the doctors,” he asserted.