62-year-old man dies as 3 Kerala hospitals refuse to admit him

A 62-year-old man died here on Wednesday after three hospitals, including one run by the government, refused to admit him citing lack of ventilator, the distraught family said.

Jacob Thomas, suffering from H1N1, was transported to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital from Kattapana in the Idukki district in an ambulance after his condition worsened.

"We reached the emergency and casualty department of the Kottayam Medical College Hospital. But the PRO told us they cannot admit my father as there was no ventilator available. Despite passionate pleas, not even a doctor came to see him," Reny Jacob, daughter of Thomas told media here.

"We then took him to the Cariathas Hospital, which also refused to admit him. We then took him to the Matha Hospital. There also, he was not admitted. As we were left with no option we sought help from the Kottayam Hospital again. But no one attended my father. He died lying in the ambulance."

The family of Thomas has filed a complaint of medical negligence with the police.