Fever-induced pneumonia led to Anayas death: Report

KOZHIKODE: Nearly two months after the death of nine-year-old Anaya, who was suspected to have succumbed to amoebic meningoencephalitis, the post-mortem report has finally reached the Thamarassery police. The report, received on Thursday, attributes her death to fever-induced pneumonia, though officials maintain that the chemical examination report is still awaited to confirm the precise cause. Speaking to TNIE, Thamarassery DySP P Chandramohan said, The delay in receiving both the post-mortem and chemical analysis reports appears to have triggered the anguish of Anayas father, Sanoop, who had repeatedly expressed distrust in the earlier preliminary report. The DySP noted that the Regional Chemical Examiners Laboratory in Kozhikode, which handles samples from five north Kerala districts, is overburdened with backlog cases, causing significant procedural delays. The chemical examination results will be crucial in establishing the exact medical cause of death. The waiting time is longer because the laboratory prioritises cases based on urgency, and many samples from across Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod are pending, the officer said. The delay, and Sanoops growing frustration over what he perceived as medical negligence, tragically culminated in a violent episode at the Thamarassery Taluk Hospital on Wednesday. CCTV footage has since emerged, capturing the chilling moments leading up to the attack on Dr Vipin P T, casualty doctor at the hospital. In the footage, Sanoop is seen entering the doctors room after instructing his two children to wait outside. One of the childrens school bags, investigators said, contained a concealed machete (koduval), its handle visibly sticking out. Moments later, Sanoop charged at Dr Vipin, inflicting a deep head wound before bystanders intervened and restrained him. Dr Vipin, who sustained a seven-centimetre-deep wound on his scalp, was rushed to Baby Memorial Hospital, Kozhikode, where he underwent emergency plastic surgery. Hospital officials confirmed that his condition is stable and there is no brain injury. Dr Vipin was shifted from the ICU to a room and is recovering well, said hospital authorities. He underwent a successful procedure under Dr Krishna Kumar, chief of plastic surgery department. Meanwhile, Sanoops wife, Rambeesa, condemned her husbands violent act, saying he should have sought justice through legal means. She revealed that Sanoop had been emotionally devastated since their daughters death on August 14, and that doctors at the medical college had hinted that her life could have been saved had she been brought in sooner. He couldnt sleep at night and often cried while holding our children, she said. I still want justice for Anaya, but violence was never the answer. The initial diagnosis was changed later, which made us doubt the reports. We will seek a proper legal investigation. She also voiced fears that the post-mortem findings might have been altered, though authorities have firmly denied this. Hospital superintendent Dr Gopalakrishnan dismissed claims of conflicting reports, reiterating that amoebic meningoencephalitis remained the confirmed diagnosis based on tests from Kozhikode Medical College. He recalled that Sanoop had visited the hospital multiple times seeking a death certificate, and staff had even assisted him with filing an online application through the municipal corporation. He never displayed aggression during those visits, the superintendent said. I now believe I may have been his intended target that day, but Dr Vipin happened to be present when the attack occurred. Police officials investigating the case stated that Sanoop showed no remorse during interrogation. Mystery behind death Anaya was admitted to the Thamarassery Taluk Hospital on August 14 with high fever and was referred the next day to Kozhikode Medical College, where she passed away. Her samples later tested positive for Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis - a rare but deadly infection caused by an amoeba commonly found in contaminated water.