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Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 (PTI) The SHRC on Wednesday directed the Kerala government’s Director of Medical Education (DME) to immediately look into a complaint claiming that several ventilators were allegedly not working at the Sree Avittom Thirunal (SAT) hospital here. The direction was issued by State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas on a case registered by the panel on its own initiative based on a newspaper report claiming that the ventilators were not working. The commission directed that a senior officer not below the rank of Deputy Director of Medical Education be appointed to investigate. It also directed that the ventilators in the pediatric surgery and neonatal departments should be checked separately to see if they are working. If the ventilators are not working, steps should be taken to fix the faults and make them functional, the commission said. It also directed that steps should be taken to replace the ventilators, if required. The panel further directed that the investigation report should be submitted before it within a month. The SAT Hospital Superintendent was also directed to submit a separate report within a month. Justice Alexander Thomas also asked the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department to conduct an inquiry into the complaint that the ventilators were not functional and submit a report within a month. The commission also ordered that the steps taken to procure new ventilators should be included in the report. The commission asked the Deputy DME, a representative of the SAT Hospital Superintendent, and the Under Secretary of the Health Department to be present in person at the sitting to be held in December. PTI HMP KH
