17-Year-Old Girl Dies In Govt Hospital In Vizhuppuram, Parents Allege Medical Negligence By ‘Trainee Doctors’

The passing of a 17-year-old schoolgirl undergoing treatment at government hospital in Vizhuppuram has put the spotlight on the plight of health care in Tamil Nadu under Dravidian Model rule.

Subhasree, a 12th-grade student, was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Mundiyambakkam, Villupuram, for abdominal pain. Subsequently, she received treatment for liver and kidney infections, and following a neck injection tragically experienced convulsions leading to her untimely demise.

The doctors later clarified that, according to the scan, the pancreas appeared normal, but there was a slight swelling in the liver and gallbladder, and the cause of this mild enlargement was undetermined which untimely led to the demise.

The family raised concerns about the decision to administer a neck injection to a patient admitted for abdominal pain. They confronted the hospital administration alleging wrongful treatment as the cause of death. This led to protests on the Chennai-Trichy highway road seeking justice, and the police intervened, promising action after the filing of a formal complaint. 

The family continued to assert that improper medical care was responsible for the student’s premature death, emphasizing the need for accountability and actions against the implicated doctors.

Endocrinologist Dr. Karthik Balachandran explained that “administering a neck injection is a recognized medical practice, citing examples like Diabetic keto-acidosis. Moreover, the exclusive involvement of resident doctors in patient care is a common practice in teaching hospitals globally.” 

“To identify potential lapses in care, Morbidity & Mortality meetings are in place, where doctors analyze circumstances surrounding a patient’s death, ensuring adherence to established standards and protocols. Mere following protocols doesn’t eliminate the possibility of adverse outcomes but this indicates that doctors followed the accepted best course of action under the given circumstances”.

Another individual on the internet posed a question to the doctor asking, whether they would allow their child to be treated solely by a trainee doctor for the same issue. The suggestion was that senior doctors should handle patient care, with trainees accompanying them to gain experience. The concern expressed was that the situation should not resemble a scenario where trainee doctors are practicing independently while senior doctors take a backseat.

The same individual questioned whether such an absence of senior doctors would occur in a private hospital?.

Another individual expressed the viewpoint that trainee doctors should not handle critical cases. The rationale behind this perspective is that trainee doctors are designated as such for a specific reason, suggesting that complex and serious cases should exclusively be managed by experienced medical professionals.

 

However, this is not the first instance of such allegations of medical negligence in Tamil Nadu government hospitals have surfaced.

In September 2023, Jyoti, a 32-year-old woman from Chennai, underwent angio treatment at Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, was initially in good health. Following the procedure, her treated arm became swollen, and blood clots developed. Allegations of negligent treatment surfaced, with her husband, Zeenath, a physically challenged person, claiming the doctors provided no explanation and removed flesh from her limbs.

A few other instances of alleged medical negligence that have been recurrent in Tamil Nadu in the past eight months, some involving women and children can be found in this article – Is This The Dravidian Model Of Healthcare? Spike In Medical Negligence Cases Exposes Sorry State Of Tamil Nadu Govt Healthcare System

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