Embroiled in controversy over the death of 26-year-old Dalit PhD scholar Rashmi Ranjan Suna, University of Hyderabad filed a complaint with the Gachibowli police alleging medical negligence by Himagiri Hospitals in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. Speaking to #KhabarLive, Gachibowli Inspector, R Srinivas said, “We have not filed a case yet. The preliminary investigation has to be conducted. A medical team has to verify the claims of medical negligence first.”
Rashmi Ranjan, a fourth-year PhD student from the School of Physics, succumbed on November 25, at Citizens Specialty Hospital, due to multi-organ failure, which was caused by Dengue. His death has triggered protests in the varsity, with students questioning the university on how the varsity’s Health Centre could refer to Himagiri Hospitals – a hospital which was ‘blacklisted’ after it allegedly charged a student exorbitantly for a minor ailment.
The university has also constituted a seven-member committee to investigate into the death of Rashmi and also probe how a ‘blacklisted’ hospital was referred to by the Health Centre.
According to his friends, Rashmi, a first-generation Dalit student from Odisha’s Kalahandi, complained of fever and vomiting on November 19, following which he was taken to the university’s Health Centre at 1.25 am. The duty doctor, KV Prasad, allegedly told him that it was a case of viral fever, and asked him to take rest. However, around 4.30 am, his health condition deteriorated; subsequently after taking him to the Health Centre, the doctor referred him to Himagiri Hospitals in Gachibowli.
At Himagiri, initially, he was admitted in the general ward and later shifted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The hospital conducted several tests and reportedly tested him negative for dengue. Rashmi was in Himagiri for two days. However, as there was no improvement he was shifted to another hospital – Citizens Specialty Hospital – on November 22, where the doctors diagnosed him with dengue fever. After his health worsened, he was put on life support, however, he succumbed on November 25.
After examining the medical reports of both the hospitals, Chief Medical Officer, University of Hyderabad on November 25, issued a medical note claiming that there was a ‘gross violation’ in both the reports. She said that the reports conducted by Himagiri Hospitals were normal except thrombocytopenia, whereas the reports of Citizens Hospitals was grossly abnormal.
As the students protested relentlessly, the University had decided to file a police case against Himagiri Hospitals. #KhabarLive