MB Subba

Haa Dzongkhag is investigating the death of a 49-year-old man who was referred to the national referral hospital from the Haa district hospital recently.

The patient from Wangtsa village, Haa had come to the hospital on December 24 after falling off the roof of a two-storey house.

The hospital discharged the patient on the same day as initial medical examinations did not find external injuries, according to officials.

However, the patient came back to the hospital on December 26 afternoon with complaints of abdominal pain, lower backache, constipation, mild and shortness of breath, according to a report shared by the Haa District Health Officer (DHO). He was admitted.

One of the victim’s sisters said that her brother might have survived had the medical officials recognised the seriousness of the case on time.

She said that the victim had climbed on the roof to keep the puja offerings (torma) on the roof. She said the patient was referred to the national referral hospital on the third day of his admission in the Haa hospital when his condition further deteriorated.

The patient died on the way to JDWNRH.

Haa’s DHO, Samten, said that the case was being investigated. According to him, the doctor on initial examination had found that the patient’s abdomen was “soft” and that there were no external injuries in the abdomen and chest.

According to the doctor’s response shared by the DHO, the medical examination found a mild abrasion over right knee and the result of the chest X-ray was found to be normal. The patient was “managed symptomatically” and discharged with advice to review if he didn’t improve.

After he was admitted in the hospital, routine blood work-up was done with ultrasound of the whole abdomen. The hospital also carried out chest X-ray, which was “apparently normal” and was kept under observation, according to the response.

It was later found that the patient had a wound with pus above genitalia, the doctor said. The patient, according to the doctor, was stabilised and immediately referred to JDWNRH after consultation.

The doctor described the cause of death as “septic shock secondary to peritonitis as a result of abdominal trauma”.

The victim’s sister a few days ago took to social media to share the story.

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