TN: Aranthangi Government Hospital issues memo to staff after patient alleges medical negligence, seeks compensation
Pudukkottai: Taking cognizance of the medical negligence alleged by a patient who found that the staff could not identify stones in his injured leg during treatment, the Chief Medical Officer of Aranthangi Government Hospital recently issued memos to the concerned staff in response to the issue.
The patient was identified as 53-year-old N Mathivanan, who suffered injuries on his right leg after a road accident near Vellore Koil on Friday and went to the hospital to get treatment. The hospital staff treated his wound and stitched it without conducting an X-ray to detect any internal injuries.
Soon Mathivanan left the hospital and began experiencing discomfort, which gradually developed into extreme pain in a few days. He then went to a private hospital in Aranthangi, where the doctor conducted a few tests, which revealed that he had stones in his right leg near the wounded patch. The doctor said if not operated on, he might permanently have his leg complications.
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Shockingly, the hospital staff failed to detect a stone in his right leg, and the negligence could have taken his leg if not been operated on promptly. The private hospital doctors successfully removed the stones from his right leg, and he is stable now.
Mathivanan alleged that the government hospital stitched his wound without removing the stones. He sought compensation from the hospital for the medical negligence and informed TNIE of the entire situation.
The hospital faced criticisms and backlash from the public after the incident spread in his locality. Questioning about the lack of attention towards their patients, the people demanded action against the negligence.
The outrage made the CMO, Sekhar, issue memos to the concerned staff, who also said that an inquiry had been conducted in this regard. Sekhar said An inquiry is going on in regard to the incident, and I have issued memos to the staff who treated the patient."
However, the district secretary of Pudukkottai's CPM wing diverted the issue by saying the hospital is reeling under a shortage of staff. "Aranthangi Government Hospital is functioning with a shortage of staff and most of those employed are working on a temporary basis. The infrastructure and staff should be strengthened to avoid such issues in the future," he added.
In a twist to the story, an official from the district health department denied the statement that the hospital is facing a staff shortage. "We have not heard of such a problem in the hospital so far. However, the official added that we have sought an explanation from the hospital authorities.
