MADURAI: Coming to the aid of a man whose wife suffered complications after undergoing family planning surgery at the Bodinayakanur Government Hospital in June, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently ordered the state government to shift her from the Theni Government Medical College Hospital, where she is presently undergoing treatment, to the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital at Omandurar in Chennai.
"No stone shall be left unturned to facilitate her recovery," Justice GR Swaminathan observed. He also directed the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services to form an expert committee conduct an inquiry into the alleged medical negligence during the surgery, and file a report within six weeks.
The bench was responding to a petition filed by the woman's husband, Kumar (name changed), who sought action against the aforesaid hospital authorities for alleged medical negligence in conducting his wife's family planning surgery on June 14, this year. The couple already has two children. The woman was pregnant with her third child when they got to know about the family planning camp held by the district administration at the said hospital.
Choosing to terminate the pregnancy, Kumar had taken his wife to the camp and the surgery was performed on the woman, among others. "But she fell unconscious soon after the surgery, and due to lack of ventilator facilities, she was rushed to the Theni Medical College Hospital," stated Kumar.
Since the incident transpired at a government hospital, especially during a government-backed camp, the government has a special responsibility in this case, the judge opined. After speaking to her doctor over the phone, the judge noted that the woman required rehabilitation, and the requisite facilities were not available in the Theni hospital. Thus, he issued the aforesaid directions, adding that it would be open to the petitioner to move the court later for compensation, irrespective of whether any negligence is found in the inquiry report.