19 year old dies after finger surgery at Chennai Hospital, family stages protest

Chennai: Allegations of medical negligence have surfaced after a 19-year-old college student died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital near Sriperumbudur for a finger injury he sustained while working at a sugarcane juice stall.

The deceased reportedly sustained a serious injury to a finger on his right hand while assisting his father at their sugarcane juice stall in Perambur on Sunday. His hand allegedly got trapped in the crushing machine, causing extensive damage to one of his fingers.

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He was initially treated at a private hospital before being referred to another private hospital in Thandalam. According to his family, doctors advised immediate surgery to amputate the injured finger. However, they alleged that the surgery was delayed until the evening and that two fingers were amputated despite being informed that only one would be removed, reports TNIE.

The family further alleged that his condition deteriorated after the surgery and accused the hospital of medical negligence, claiming that inexperienced doctors and trainee medical personnel were involved in his treatment. He died on Tuesday morning.

Following his death, his relatives staged a protest outside the hospital, briefly preventing an ambulance from taking the body for a postmortem examination. The protest was withdrawn after the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Sriperumbudur assured them that an inquiry would be conducted.

Police have registered a case and sent the body to Chengalpattu Government Hospital for an autopsy. Sources said the matter has also been referred to the Joint Director of Health Services, Kancheepuram, for an inquiry into the allegations.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that a 60-year-old woman admitted to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tiruchy after undergoing orthopaedic surgery was allegedly bitten by a rat while sleeping in the ward, raising concerns over patient safety and hygiene at the hospital.

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