Kerala Hospital Under Fire After Heart Patient Dies in Hands of Failed MBBS Student

Kozhikode: In a case of alleged medical negligence in Kerala, a man yet to complete the second year of his MBBS degree performed surgery on a heart patient, leading to the patient’s death. The Kerala Police have arrested the “unqualified” resident medical officer (RMO) following the death of 60-year-old Vinod Kumar at a private hospital in Kozhikode on September 23.

The arrested RMO, identified as Abu Abraham Luke, was found to have not completed his medical education. Vinod Kumar, suffering from severe chest pain and breathlessness, was rushed to the hospital but tragically died shortly after treatment.

Vinod Kumar’s son, Dr Ashwin Pachaatt Vinod, a resident doctor at PGI Chandigarh, expressed shock and outrage upon learning that the RMO responsible for his father’s care was still a second-year medical student. Ashwin revealed that despite being enrolled in a private medical college in Kerala since 2011, Luke had not cleared his second-year MBBS subjects in over 12 years.

Ashwin, who investigated the matter after his father’s death, reported the issue to higher authorities and shared his experience on social media. The police registered an FIR based on his complaint, leading to Luke’s arrest. Ashwin expressed hope that the hospital management would also face legal action, stressing that his goal is to prevent similar incidents from happening to others.

The hospital acknowledged a lapse in verifying Luke’s qualifications and has since dismissed him. According to the hospital management, they had checked Luke’s medical registration number and his work history at other hospitals before hiring him. They defended their decision, stating that he had a good reputation among patients.