'Botched' surgery: High Court orders hospital to treat girl in coma

Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras high court has ordered the dean of Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) here to provide proper treatment to an eight-year-old girl, after she went into coma allegedly due to negligent treatment given to her. The court also instructed the GRH dean to treat the girl by forming a high-level special team of doctors. The order came after the girl's mother knocked on the doors of the high court, crying for help to save her child.
I Tamil Selvi, 35, wife of a coolie, had admitted her child Sangeetha at the Aruppukottai GH for tonsil surgery, which was done on April 16.
"During surgery, the doctors informed me that my child had gone into the unconscious stage, and needs to be admitted at the GRH. Accordingly, she was shifted, where I was told that the drug used on her at the Aruppukottai GH led to encephalopathy (malfunction of the brain). My daughter was active before she was admitted to hospital. Due to negligent treatment on the part of the doctors, she is under coma stage since April 16," the petitioner said.
Accusing the hospital of improper treatment, she said, "It did not give proper care to my daughter. Hence, my girl should be treated either at Apollo Hospital in Madurai or any other speciality hospital."
When the woman's petition came up for hearing before Justice R Mahadevan, the GRH dean M R Vairamuthu Raju appeared. He told the court that the hospital management has formed a special team of doctors to take care of the child.
Recording his statement, the judge directed the dean to provide good treatment to the girl and also directed the health secretary to file a counter to the case and adjourned it by three weeks.