A visit to a dentist in Karnataka's Hubballi district proved costly for a man. He allegedly died due to excessive bleeding from a simple dental procedure. He was admitted to Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), where he died on Sunday, December 17.
It is alleged that Dr Veereg Magalad of Ratna Clinic had extracted three of Khader's teeth on December 8.
Going by a police complaint filed by Khader's brother Abdul Razzaq, the former was rushed to KIMS in Hubballi on December 9 after he bled profusely post his teeth extraction by Dr Magalad.
KIMS Director, Hubballi said, "He was treated in the ICU. We could have saved him if he had been brought two days earlier."
Reports also said that Dr Magalad went to KIMS on December 11 to see Khader's condition. The complaint filed by Khader's kin alleges that the doctor took Khader's thumb impression when he was in Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The letter in which Dr Magalad took Khader's thumb impression stated that "the dentist was not responsible for the patient's condition. He allegedly paid Rs 10,000 to the patient on compassionate grounds."
However, Dr Magalad has denied the allegations by Khader's family. "It's said the patient bled a lot but his family did not inform me about it. They told me after three days that he had been bleeding and admitted to KIMS," he told the Times of India.
The dentist also referred to extortion as he said, "After the patient was admitted, a person claimed to be an advocate tried to extort money from me."
Magalad further clarified, "When I went to the hospital, Khader's relatives said they are poor and sought financial assistance. On humanitarian grounds, I gave Rs 10,000 and took a statement from Khader."
Contradicting the complaint filed by Khader's brother, the dentist also claimed, "How would KIMS allow us to take a thumb impression if the patient was in a coma or in the ICU?" Meanwhile, the KIMS director has said, "The cause of death will be revealed only after postmortem."
