Patient undergoes C Section, Tubectomy, dies after administered injection by trainee doctor: HC seeks report from GMC dean

Madurai: While considering a plea alleging medical negligence that led to the death of a patient after childbirth, the Madurai bench of Madras High Court has recently directed the Dean of Theni Government Medical College Hospital for submitting the medical records related to the deceased.

Filing the plea before the High Court, the petitioner P.Poonkodi, who is the mother of the deceased, claimed that her daughter died due to medical negligence of a trainee doctor. 

Taking note of the submissions, the HC bench comprising of Justice V. Sivagnanam has directed the Dean of the GMC to submit the medical reports and listed the matter for further hearing on August 26.

In her plea, the petitioner has further sought a direction upon the authorities for exhuming the body of the deceased to conduct a post-mortem and take appropriate action.

The matter concerned the second daughter of the petitioner, who was pregnant with her third child and also underwent regular check-ups. For the delivery of the baby, the patient had been admitted to GMC Theni and there she gave birth to a baby boy on June 8, 2022.

After the Caesarean Section (C-Section), the patient had also opted for tubectomy, i.e. family planning operation on the same day. On June 11, the patient had been shifted from the ICU to the general ward and following that she was shifted to another general ward on June 14.

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It was submitted by the Petitioner that on June 15, the patient had been given an injection and both the patient and the baby were healthy and in stable condition.

As per the latest media report by The Hindu, the petitioner claimed that a trainee doctor gave an injection to the patient on June 16. She alleged that before giving the injection, the doctor had not conducted any test. It has been alleged that after giving the injection, the condition of the patient worsened and she started complaining about severe pain in the abdomen.

The daily adds that the doctors had allegedly told the petitioner that the patient had been given a sleeping dose. However, to utter shock of the petitioner, her daughter died on June 21. 

It has been further alleged by the petitioner that the doctors had threatened her and asked her to receive the body. Further, the family members were allegedly forced to bury the body, submitted the petitioner.

In fact, in her plea, the petitioner further claimed that no post-mortem was conducted and the police also did not register any case. Therefore, the petitioner has urged the court for issuing directions so that the authorities exhume the body of the deceased to conduct a post-mortem.

After taking note of the submissions, the HC bench has asked for the medical reports from the Dean of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Theni. The matter would be heard next on August 26.

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