Paravur Taluk Hospital in Ernakulam district will face a detailed inquiry after the family of a 56-year-old patient alleged that delayed treatment for severe pain in his right foot eventually led to an amputation. Hospital authorities have denied negligence and said the patient was examined, referred to another hospital and later left against medical advice.
The patient, Abdul Jabbar of Kunnukara, was taken to the hospital on July 26 after developing intense pain in his right foot at about 7 pm, according to a report by Malayala Manorama. His family alleged that the duty doctor in the emergency department examined him, administered painkillers and an injection, and sent him home.
Jabbar returned to the hospital later that night because the pain had not subsided. He has said that he was asked to consult a surgeon the following day and was sent back. When he returned the next day, a surgeon reportedly told him that the pain was caused by a stroke and that surgery should have been performed within six to eight hours of its onset. The surgeon also said there was no alternative to amputation, according to the family’s account.
A surgeon at a private hospital near Angamaly reportedly expressed a similar view. Jabbar was subsequently treated at Kottayam Medical College Hospital, where the portion of his right leg below the knee was amputated. He told the newspaper that doctors at the medical college also confirmed the alleged treatment lapse. These claims have not been independently established in the material supplied for this report.
Jabbar and his family recently met the superintendent of Paravur Taluk Hospital to seek action over the alleged negligence. He had been running a hotel near Sree Narayana Medical College at Chalakka and told the newspaper that the amputation had left his livelihood severely disrupted.
The hospital’s account differs from the family’s allegation. According to the preliminary report cited by municipal chairperson Ramesh D. Kurup, the duty doctor examined Jabbar and provided treatment. When he returned in the early hours, hospital staff referred him to Ernakulam General Hospital, but authorities said he was unwilling to go there. He was given another painkiller and discharged, according to the hospital’s report.
The hospital further stated that Jabbar returned around noon the next day and met a surgeon, who advised him to proceed to Kottayam Medical College. Authorities said he declined that advice and left for home after informing the hospital that he was doing so. The superintendent reportedly told the municipal chairperson that Jabbar’s daughter had accepted full responsibility for taking him away, with the decision recorded in the hospital register.
The case places attention on how emergency departments assess acute limb pain, how quickly suspected vascular emergencies are identified, and whether referral advice is effectively communicated and completed. Those questions will be addressed through the detailed inquiry announced by the municipal chairperson, following the preliminary report submitted by the hospital superintendent.
