In a deeply troubling case of alleged medical negligence under the Dravidian model of medical health care management, the body of a deceased Tamil Nadu man was mistakenly sent to Bihar from the Tiruvallur Government Hospital, sparking outrage among family members and demands for urgent action against those responsible.
The incident began when Rajendran, a 60-year-old agricultural labourer from Pooji Reddy Palli village near Tiruttani in Tiruvallur district, consumed pesticide in a suspected suicide attempt, reportedly due to severe stomach pain. He was initially admitted to Tiruttani Government Hospital and later referred to Tiruvallur Government Hospital for further treatment. Tragically, he died before receiving any medical care.
Following his death, hospital staff instructed Rajendran’s family to store his body in the hospital mortuary and obtain a police clearance for an autopsy. However, when the family returned with the necessary documents, Rajendran’s body had gone missing.
According to Rajendran’s younger brother Vignesh, the family was left confused and devastated when they found another unidentified body in place of Rajendran’s. “We searched everywhere. When we saw that the body wasn’t his, we were in shock. His features didn’t match. Still, hospital staff kept insisting it was him and tried to convince us otherwise,” Vignesh said, recounting the incident.
The twist emerged when it was discovered that Rajendran’s body had been mistakenly handed over to the relatives of another deceased individual — a migrant worker from Bihar named Manoj Mansi, who had also died at the same hospital around the same time. Both bodies, classified as unidentified due to a lack of proper documentation, were kept in the same mortuary. In a critical error, Rajendran’s body was taken in an ambulance to Bihar under the assumption that it was Mansi’s.
The family’s lawyer and local advocates worked overnight to trace the ambulance and contacted the police, who managed to stop the vehicle en route. The hospital and ambulance service, meanwhile, reportedly remained evasive and uncooperative. “From 11 AM to 3 AM, they gave vague responses,” Vignesh said. “It was only after media intervention and our own efforts that we found out Rajendran’s body had been sent to Bihar.”
The police were eventually able to locate the vehicle transporting the body and instructed it to return to Tamil Nadu. The family now awaits the repatriation of Rajendran’s remains.
Relatives, including their legal representative Muthu, have demanded swift intervention from the Tamil Nadu Health Minister and strict action against the hospital staff responsible for the blunder.
“This isn’t a small mistake. A human body was mishandled, and a grieving family was put through unimaginable trauma,” said Muthu. “The Health Minister must intervene directly, identify those at fault, and ensure they are held accountable — publicly. Only then will the public regain trust in the state’s medical system.”
The incident has raised serious concerns about the hospital’s morgue management and record-keeping practices. No official response has yet been issued by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Medical Education or the Health Department.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
