[File Photo]

The Ministry of Health and the Vatukoula Gold Mine have responded to the recent case involving a Vatukoula Gold Mine employee, Amitesh Ram, who was injured in a workplace incident and has since become bedridden.

The Ministry of Health says it is conducting an internal review of the clinical records related to the case.

Amitesh Ram’s legs were injured while working underground at the Vatukoula Gold Mine on November 13 last year, after which he was treated at the Tavua and Lautoka hospitals.

His family says that after his surgery at the Lautoka hospital, he started facing breathing issues and later slipped into a coma, and has since been in a deteriorating condition, currently bedridden at his home, unable to speak, hear, or see, fed through a feeding tube, and on a urinary catheter.

This had prompted the family to question medical negligence in his surgical procedure at the Lautoka hospital, and FBC News reached out to the Ministry of Health to clarify these claims.

Executive Assistant at the Office of the Minister for Health and Medical Services, Jyotika Chand, told FBC News that the matter is being dealt with seriously and the Ministry is reviewing it in line with established clinical governance processes.

The family claimed that Ram was able to speak, move his upper body, hear, and see before his surgery at Lautoka Hospital, and are claiming that medical negligence or a surgical error during the procedure may have caused his current condition.

They also questioned how a leg injury could have caused Ram to lapse into a coma, further claiming a medical error was responsible.

The family also claimed that doctors at Lautoka Hospital, despite repeated requests, did not provide clear explanations of what had transpired.

Responding to FBC News’ request to clarify the above claims, the Ministry of Health highlighted that, due to patient confidentiality, it cannot share specific details at the moment; however, a review is ongoing.

The Vatukoula Gold Mine also responded to questions regarding company support for the family and the circumstances of the accident.

The company said Ram was immediately transported to Tavua Hospital following the incident on November 13 last year.

“The injured employee, Mr. Amitesh Ram, was immediately attended to on-site and admitted to Tavua Hospital. He was subsequently transferred to Lautoka hospital for surgery for a broken leg, after which he was sent back to Tavua hospital but readmitted in Lautoka hospital, where his condition unfortunately worsened due to subsequent medical complications not present at the time of the initial workplace injury.”

The company affirmed it is providing ongoing support to Ram’s family and that an internal investigation into the incident was promptly initiated in line with company procedures and regulatory requirements.

It added that employee safety remains a top priority and that systems and controls are continually reviewed to safeguard all employees and contractors.

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