A 47-year-old native of Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu succumbed to injuries on Monday as hospitals denied treatment to him citing trivial reasons.

The victim, Murugan, was riding in a two-wheeler along with his friend at Chathannur in Kollam district on Saturday, when his vehicle dashed against another bike coming on the opposite direction.

Passersby and volunteers rushed grievously injured Murugan to a private hospital, where ventilator was not functioning. Murugan was taken to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The ventilator there, too, was not functioning.

Volunteers took Murugan to various private hospitals in Kollam. While some hospitals did not have ventilator facilities, others insisted that only Murugan’s kin should sign papers as bystander. Finally Murugan was brought to Kollam District Hospital, where he died this morning.

On information, Inspector General of Police Manoj Abraham said stern action would be taken against the hospitals that denied treatment to the victim. He directed the Kollam Police Commissioner, Ajitha Begum, to file a case against those hospitals.