Tension prevailed in Kunnamkulam on Thursday night after a 49-year-old man, Elyas Muhammed, died following a hernia surgery at a private hospital, with relatives and local people alleging medical negligence. The incident occurred at Ittimani Hospital on Guruvayur Road. Muhammed, a resident of Chiramanengad in Thrissur, was admitted to the hospital around 4.30 p.m. on Thursday for treatment. Doctors reportedly recommended an immediate hernia operation, which was carried out in the evening. Muhammed died around 8.30 p.m., soon after the procedure. Following his death, angry relatives and local residents gathered outside the hospital, alleging lapses in treatment and errors in the administration of anaesthesia. The protest escalated into a standoff with hospital staff, forcing the police to intervene and restore order. Hospital authorities, however, denied negligence, stating that Muhammed suffered respiratory distress during the procedure. They maintained that all medical protocols were followed. Relatives, meanwhile, claimed that the surgery was unnecessary and conducted in haste. They demanded that the cause of death be officially recorded as medical negligence before they would accept the body. The police have registered a case of unnatural death. The Kunnamkulam ACP will lead the investigation, which will include an inquiry into possible medical lapses. Muhammed’s post-mortem examination is scheduled to be conducted at Thrissur Medical College Hospital on Friday. Published - October 17, 2025 06:26 pm IST