Express News Service By

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM /KANNUR: The three doctors at the Payyannur Taluk Hospital who allegedly recorded the visuals of a caesarean were suspended after a preliminary inquiry found them guilty. The Directorate of Health Services issued the orders after it received a report from the Kannur district medical officer (DMO) Dr K J Reena.

The DMO, who conducted a preliminary inquiry, reported that the three doctors were guilty and were responsible for the circulation of the visuals of the caesarean. Director of Health Services Dr P K Jameela said that the three doctors have been suspended following a preliminary inquiry by the DMO.

“A detailed inquiry will be conducted and further action will be taken only after that,’’ she said. The incident came to light after a private TV channel aired the news with visuals uploaded on the internet allegedly by some hospital staff. After the scenes were circulated, the woman made a complaint with the police that the delivery was shot without her knowledge and shared on the internet breaching her privacy.

Probe Report

The District Medical Officer, (DMO), Kannur, on Tuesday submitted to the Director of Health Services, her primary inquiry report on the complaint that the hospital staff of the Payyannur Taluk Government Hospital shared photographs of a caesarean section on a social sharing application on mobile phone.

The team led by DMO Dr K J Reena, however, could not find out the persons responsible for the incident, as they could not record statements of three doctors who stand in the shade of allegations. Nevertheless, the report confirmed that the photographs were taken from the operation theatre of the hospital. The DMO has recorded the statements of nine staff members and four outsiders in connection with the incident.

Three doctors who were present during the surgery did not turn up. The primary inquiry report has demanded further investigation to prove the crime. The doctors are on ‘unauthorised absence’ and departmental action would be taken against them in this regard when the superintendent of the hospital formally reports their absence, the DMO said. Meanwhile, P K Sreemathi MP, in a letter to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, criticised the government for not taking the case seriously.

Deploring the incident as highly disturbing and unethical, the MP said that the culprits could have been easily traced with the help of the Cyber Cell. Yet the police could not arrest anybody even after the lapse of any days. She demanded strict legal action against the culprits. All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) took out a protest march to the DMO Office on Tuesday here, demanding strict action against the culprits. AIDWA leader K K Shailaja alleged that the police was going slow in the probe.

The guilty should immediately be brought to boo, she said.