Tamil Nadu Dental Clinic Sealed 2 years after death of 8 patients

Vaniyambadi: The Tirupattur district health department on Tuesday sealed a private dental clinic in Vaniyambadi town following an investigation revealed unsterile medical practices that allegedly led to the deaths of eight patients in May 2023. The closure comes after the clinic failed to provide a satsifactory explanation to health authorities.

The closure was ordered by Tirupattur Collector K. Sivasoundaravalli on Tuesday, citing the findings of a joint investigation that included the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE), Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, and the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Public Health (DPH).

According to the study, the outbreak was traced to a contaminated saline bottle that had been opened using an unsterile surgical instrument. The reuse of the bottle's contents led to at least 10 infections and eight fatalities among patients treated at the clinic.

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that a new study published in The Lancet has revealed that eight people died in 2023 after getting infected with a neuromelioidosis - a rare neurological infection- linked to a dental clinic in Tamil Nadu. A genetic study has traced a 2023 outbreak of a neurological infection in Tamil Nadu to contaminated saline water used at a dental clinic, findings of which were published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal.

Also Read: Death of 8 TN patients in 2023 traced to neuromelioidosis caused by contaminated saline at Dental clinic: Lancet Study

CMC Vellore, which played a pivotal role in uncovering the source of the outbreak, released a statement noting that from 2022 to 2023, they observed a concerning number of admissions for brainstem syndrome. Of 21 identified cases, 10 had undergone dental procedures at the now-sealed clinic. The bacterial contamination was ultimately traced back to an in-use saline bottle at the facility. 

“The outbreak was controlled with 10 cases by active intervention of the district government health authorities,” the statement said.

According to the Hindu, Tirupattur Collector K. Sivasoundaravalli ordered the closure of the clinic after the district health authorities were not satisfied with the response given by the clinic’s management to its show cause notice over the allegations. Health officials, led by V. Gnana Meenakshi, Tirupattur Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services (JDHS), sealed the clinic.

Also Read: Woman dies months after being administered expired saline at Kolkata Hospital

Further investigations by a four-member district health team on May 30 revealed that the clinic had relocated slightly and altered its name in an apparent attempt to continue operations. The team's report was submitted to the Collector.

Meanwhile, the Tirupattur police have launched a parallel criminal investigation. Superintendent of Police Shreya Gupta confirmed that special teams have been formed to pursue complaints filed by families of the deceased patients. The inquiry is currently ongoing.