Late Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar‘s family physician Dr Ramana Rao has been provided police security after fans of the actor accused the doctor of negligence, a police official from Bengaluru’s Sadashivanagar police station told Silverscreen India on condition of anonymity. Rao was the doctor who provided initial care for Puneeth.
The police official said, “Fans have been complaining about the doctor and police protection has been provided to Rao for the past one week. A police unit has been deployed at Sadashivanagar, where the doctor’s residence and clinic are located, since fans have been creating problems.”
Puneeth, who predominantly worked in the Kannada film industry, died of cardiac arrest at Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru, on October 29. He was declared dead of an acute heart attack at 2:30 pm that day after his “heart refused to pick up.”
Earlier that day, an ECG (Electrocardiogram) was taken on Dr Rao’s advice after Puneeth complained of chest pain post his routine morning exercise.
A source, who did not want to be named, from the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association, Karnataka (PHANA), told us that Rao has been the family physician of the actor’s family for the past 50 years. Puneeth was taken to him after the actor had “chest discomfort and dizziness,” the source said.
“Immediately, an ECG was done and it was found that something was wrong. He referred him to Vikram Hospital since he was breathing normally and his pulse was fine. Rao thought he had sufficient time to make it to Vikram Hospital. Fans are now questioning why was he not referred to Ramaiah Hospital, which is nearer. They suspect some foul play in the decision and have given a complaint to the police. However, no action has been taken against the doctor. Meanwhile, the association has requested police security for Rao as a precaution,” the source added.
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On Saturday, PHANA wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, noting that the association is deeply concerned with the way health care is being portrayed by the media and public after the actor’s demise. Calling for the chief minister’s immediate attention, the letter added that the “judgemental and hypercritical media frenzy” of “visual media channels and social media channels carrying narratives blaming lack of care by the medical professionals who gave their services” is creating “distrust in society as well as risk to the lives of the medical professionals who served the deceased.”
Pointing out that discussions about the medical condition of a deceased person is a “gross violation of health care privacy” of the concerned individual and their family, PHANA said that it “strongly opposes attempts by the public to point fingers at the treating physicians, especially Dr Ramana Rao, who did his best.”
“Fans/family pressurising the law enforcement authorities or creating public unrest requires your kind intervention,” the letter added.
The association also requested the chief minister to make a public statement regarding the issue and provide police protection to Rao and other health care workers who were involved in Puneeth’s treatment.