Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Tension over girl's death

Staff Reporter

Inadequate medical care alleged

ANGUISHED: Relatives of a girl, who died after being treated at a private clinic in the city, squatting at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Monday. — Photo: K. Ananthan

Coimbatore: Tense moments prevailed at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Monday morning, when the parents and relatives of a 13-year-old girl refused to take her body accusing a private clinic of having provided "inadequate" and "wrong treatment" resulting in her death.

The victim's kith and kin squatted in front of the post-mortem block of the CMCH and said that the girl studying in ninth standard was taken to a private clinic in Ramanathapuram area, after she complained of symptoms of fever and uneasiness.

They alleged without diagnosing the ailment, the doctor and his staff at the clinic reacted lethargically. The girl was given two bottles of intravenous fluid in just one hour and was discharged when she was in a state of drowsiness. The parents were told not to wake her up, since she was under medication. In the evening, the girl was found lying with froth at the mouth. She was rushed to a private hospital, where she was declared dead.

They refused to accept the body and squatted inside the CMCH seeking the arrest of the doctor and closure of the clinic. They alleged that the "wrong" and "inadequate treatment" caused the death and added that a woman and an attendant at the clinic were not qualified persons to treat any patient. The Revenue Divisional Officer, G.S. Ramadoss, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), K. Shanmugavel, held talks with the agitated parents and relatives and assured them that an inquiry would be instituted and action would be initiated against the doctor, if charges were found true. After several rounds of negotiations, the agitators relented and took the body for cremation around 2.15 p.m. Following the commotion, a large number of police personnel were deployed on the CMCH premises.

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