16-Dec-2012
MHC superintendent shifted; further action based on reportAIYF activists stage
a sit in before the Mental Health Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday
demanding an inquiry into the death of an inmate recently.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The Health Ministry swung into action on Saturday
following the revelation that the death of an inmate in the Peroorkada Mental
Health Centre (MHC) on December 4 was a murder. The superintendent of the
centre was transferred and a probe panel has been set up, which will submit a
report within two days, based on which further action will be initiated.
Case transferredThe police, meanwhile, transferred the case from the Kilimanoor
police station to the Peroorkada station, where a murder case has been
registered. The Peroorkada Circle Inspector would investigate into the case, P.
Vimaladitya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Thiruvananthapuram
City, said.
Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, who paid a visit to the centre late on
Saturday, said the superintendent had been transferred to his former post —
additional district medical officer — while the Directorate of Health Services
had constituted a four-member panel that would probe into the incident and
submit a report within two days. The panel began its proceedings by recording
statements from the centre staff on Saturday.
CCTV camerasThe Minister told The Hindu that 20 posts of staff nurses would be
created for the MHC, while four assistant surgeon posts too were created. Apart
from these, 11 nurses on contract would be recruited via the National Rural
Health Mission to tide over the staff shortage in the MHC. The government had
also sanctioned Rs.20 lakh to install closed circuit television cameras in the
centre. Administrative sanction too had been accorded for this and the cameras
were expected to be installed by the end of this month. Plans were also afoot
to construct a new building for the centre, Mr. Sivakumar added.
The death of the inmate, 60-year-old Venkateswarappa from Andhra Pradesh, found
dead in his cell early on December 4, had snowballed into a controversy
following the revelation that his cell-mate had allegedly strangled him to
death.
The body was subjected to a second post-mortem to confirm this. Venkateswarappa
was taken into custody following court orders when he was roaming around in
Kilimanoor and was admitted to the MHC on November 30.
Judicial probe soughtMeanwhile, protests and demands for further investigation
arose from various quarters with the Kerala Congress and the All India Youth
Federation (AIYF) staging separate sit-ins in front of the MHC on Saturday.
Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Pannian Ravindran, inaugurating
the Kerala Congress protest, demanded a judicial probe into the incident, more
so because the victim had been admitted to the MHC following court orders.
Kerala Congress secretary general George Sebastian also spoke.
Later, the AIYF alleged that murders within the mental health centres of the
State were becoming regular and that authorities were trying to trivialise such
incidents. Demanding that the superintendent of the centre be suspended, they
blocked the superintendent’s office this morning. The protest was called off
after the District Medical Officer reached the spot and promised action.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/authorities-in-crisiscontrol-mode-more-staff-promised/article4204180.ece
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