Woman dies after surgery in Tamil Nadu, protests erupt

The deceased woman, identified as Vimala from Vellachiruppam village near Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, is survived by her three children, S. Prithika, S. Magizhini, and S. Magizhan.

She was admitted to the Kamarajar Government Hospital in Chidambaram on February 17 for surgery. However, she experienced certain complications after being discharged from the hospital. She began suffering from pain at the surgical site and seizures. Subsequently, she was readmitted to the same hospital on March 15.

Speaking to the TNIE, Vimla's husband, K. Selladurai (40), stated that she was referred to the Government Medical College Hospital in Annamalai Nagar, where she received intensive care. When her condition deteriorated further, she was further transferred to the Government Villupuram Medical College Hospital in Mundiyampakkam for better treatment. However, she passed away there on the morning of March 22.

Following her death, relatives and villagers staged a protest on Sunday in front of the Chidambaram Government Hospital, demanding action against the medical staff involved. However, revenue and police officials held talks with the protesters.

Meanwhile, the Chidambaram Town Police registered a case under Section 194(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Following this, the protesters dispersed. Officials stated that they would take further action after receiving the post-mortem report. However, they refused to accept the body until further discussions were held with the Collector, the SP, and the Joint Director of Health Services.

Furthermore, on Monday, Vimla's relatives staged another protest outside the Sub-Collector's office, demanding compensation of ₹50 lakh, support from the state government for the children's education, and a job for her husband, Selladurai.