Chennai: In a tragic incident, a minor procedure for an ordinary ligament tear suffered by a teenage girl, an upcoming footballer, claimed her life in Chennai due to suspected medical negligence in removing the compression bandage on time. The negligence led to the amputation of 17-year-old footballer Priya’s right leg last week. On Tuesday morning she died of multiple organ failure at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in the Tamil Nadu capital.
Doctors suspended
Following widespread criticism from political party leaders and the general public, the Health Department suspended two doctors of the Government Peripheral Hospital in Periyar Nagar in north Chennai, who had treated the girl initially. Hoping to contain the damage caused by her death, the Government announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to her family and promised a job to one of her family members on compassionate grounds.
Priya, a first-year student of B.Sc Physical Education and a member of a football team, had suffered a ligament tear a fortnight ago. Health Minister Ma Subramanian told journalists that on November 7, she had undergone an arthroscopic ligament repair procedure at the Peripheral Hospital and doctors had applied a compression bandage to prevent bleeding. However, prolonged pressure from the compression bandage had cut off blood flow to her right leg causing complications and eventually leading to amputation and subsequent death.
Delay in removing the bandage proves fatal
Inquiries with some senior doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where the girl was rushed due to complications, revealed that the delay in removing the bandage had proved fatal to the girl. “The compression bandage has to be removed within a specified period, failing which it would lead to tissue necrosis as in this case. This in turn results in the release of myoglobin, a sort of protein, from the dead tissues, which is toxic to kidneys,” said a doctor requesting anonymity.
For Priya, this caused renal failure and liver dysfunction. “She later developed myocardial infarction and multi-organ failure and died,” he added. “Actually there was nothing wrong in the arthroscopic procedure at the Peripheral Hospital but only the delay in removing the compression bandage proved costly,” the doctor explained.
Many of her fellow football team members, who rushed to the hospital premises on hearing of her death, were inconsolable. “We were positive that she will be back. On her WhatsApp she had put a status message asking friends and family not to worry and that she would return to the team. Now she has left us for ever,” rued a friend of hers. Her parents and others protested demanding action against the two doctors for medical negligence.
Rajiv Gandhi Hospital Dean Therani Rajan and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Flower Bazaar) Albert John said a case has been registered and criminal action would be initiated against those found guilty of medical negligence by a special committee of the medical board, which will examine all material facts.
Leader of Opposition and AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami held the DMK Government responsible for Priya’s death and sought compensation of Rs one crore.
Congress Legislature Party leader K Selvaperunthagai said doctors have to discharge their duty responsibly but said the opposition parties were seeking to politicise the issue.
The opposition party leaders expressed shock over the footballer’s death and put the blame on the State government.
