Chennai man dies during de-addiction treatment at private clinic, probe underway
Medical Negligence
Chennai: A 28-year-old man died while undergoing treatment for alcohol addiction at a private facility in Chennai's Kodungaiyur locality on Sunday, prompting his family to allege medical negligence and leading to a police investigation.
According to the news reports, the deceased was a real estate businessman from Madhavaram Milk Colony. He had got married a year ago and was admitted to the facility by his family last week for treatment of his alcohol addiction.
Although the facility was initially reported to be a de-addiction centre, police said it was actually a clinic operated by a retired government doctor.
According to police, the patient’s health condition deteriorated during his stay at the facility. On Sunday, a staff member reportedly administered an injection to him, following which he suddenly collapsed.
After receiving information about his condition, his relatives took him to a private hospital in Madhavaram, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Suspecting medical negligence, the patient’s family members and others brought his body back to the Kodungaiyur facility and staged a protest, demanding action against those responsible for his death.
Following the protest, police personnel reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The body was subsequently sent to Government Stanley Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior police officer said that a case of unnatural death had been registered based on a complaint from the family and that preliminary autopsy findings showed no external injuries on his body. “We can decide on the next course of action only after the viscera examination,” the officer said.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that health officials have launched an inquiry into allegations of medical negligence following the death of a 66-year-old man after a snakebite at Kadayanallur Government Hospital in Tenkasi district on Saturday. Joint Director of Health Services, Virudhunagar, Kaliraj, visited the hospital on Monday and questioned the medical staff who were on duty when the victim was brought in.
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