Kerala Hospital: Patient Treated Under Mobile Torchlight, Minister Orders Probe

Health Minister K Muraleedharan has ordered a probe after a patient was treated using a mobile phone's torchlight at a Palode hospital during a power cut.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister K Muraleedharan has asked the Director of Health Services (DHS) to investigate the complaint about a patient being treated under mobile torchlight in Palode.He said action will be taken if the hospital is found to be at fault. "Treatment at hospitals should not stop even during a power cut," the minister stated. He added that the hospital authorities should have made sure a generator was available.The news about the incident at the Palode Primary Health Centre broke today. The power went out while a patient's wound was being dressed. Since the generator was also out of order, the staff used a mobile torchlight to finish dressing the wound. However, hospital officials explained that the power was restored within two minutes.