A case was registered under Indian Penal Code Section 304 (punishable for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against a Government Medical College and two private hospitals in Kerala. AS per police reports, the hospitals allegedly denied admission to a 62-year old man who died after being turned away by the hospitals.

The complaint was filed by the relatives of the patient, identified as Jacob Thomas of Kerala’s Idukki district. The State Government has taken a serious note of the incident and directed the Medical Education Director to conduct an inquiry and submit a report. The Kottayam Medical College hospital authorities have said that when Thomas was brought again to the hospital (after denying admission the first time), he was found dead. He was admitted to a hospital in Kattapana in Idukki two days ago because of fever and breathing problems.

It is important to mention here that this case of medical negligence comes to light at a time when Nipah virus has resurfaced in the state after a year, with a 23-year old student being confined to be infected with it and more than 300 people he interacted with, put under observation.