THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: M S Neethu, who lost several of her fingers and toes following a botched cosmetic surgery, is not the sole victim of alleged medical negligence by the Thiruvananthapuram-based clinic. Nearly four years ago, a 46-year-old died allegedly after undergoing liposuction at the same clinic, it has emerged.
According to Ashok Kumar, a city resident, his brother Amrith Raj underwent liposuction surgery at the clinic, then located in Pettah, on July 16, 2021, and died five days later. Ashok alleged that Amrith underwent the procedure following persistent follow-up calls from the clinic.
“He saw an ad of the clinic in Facebook in 2020 and contacted them out of curiosity. However, they kept calling him, as if they desperately wanted him to go through with the procedure,” alleged Ashok. The pandemic delayed the surgery that year.
“However, in 2021, the clinic resumed communication and convinced Amrith to proceed with the procedure,” said Ashok, adding that eight litres of fat were removed from Amrith’s body.
“The clinic staff said it was okay to go home right after the surgery. However, on our mother’s insistence, Amrith stayed there an extra day,” said Ashok. Amrith returned home on the third day and started experiencing difficulty in breathing soon.
“He called the doctor who dismissed it as gas trouble and told him to take a tablet,” alleged Ashok.
Amrith’s condition worsened the next day and the family rushed him to the clinic. From there, he was referred to Lords Hospital, where he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was put on ventilator and died on July 21, five days after the surgery.